Eris sat by Armand's bedside in Marshal Staufer's fortified villa. The boy was staying in a guest room, which became a hospital room with medical equipment nearby him. Guards with armor and swords stood outside of the door at all times, rotating in various shifts.

It had been several days since Armand was shot. Marshal Staufer's personal doctor would check on the boy several times each day, making sure the magic circle around the bed was intact. This was what delivered a constant healing spell to Armand. However, healing spells had limits. Their base effect was increasing the body's natural healing rate. They could allow someone to heal completely from something they normally would not be able to. And wounds healed by magic never leave scars.

However, healing magic can only do so much. It cannot regrow lost limbs. And healing times are reduced, never eliminated. Armand's injuries would never fully heal without healing magic. With it, they would fully heal, but it would take a long time.

Armand had been asleep all this time. It was not magically compelled but a coma resulting from his injury. And Eris had been by his side as much as she could.

There were times when she had to leave to deal with some business. But Eris went right back to Armand the moment she could. Marshal Staufer more than respected her desire to be by her loved one, and he had his servants bring food in for Eris. He even set up a table for her so she could eat without risking spilling food on Armand.

A letter from Rozwialzly arrived on the third day Eris was in the room. It read:

"I apologize for not being here for Armand. If I were in the capital, I would have rushed to your side and healed you right away, but I am with His and Her Majesties on the other side of Foldzar. And we will not be back for at least two weeks. If Armand is still injured during this time, I will go to him."

"At least this commoner has some intelligence. Defying the royal family is a foolish idea, but I will make sure he keeps his promise," Eris thought after reading the letter.

During the morning a few days after that, Eris had just finished eating when a knock came at the door. The girl turned to it.

"Come in," she said.

Marshal Staufer entered. There was a perplexed look on his face as he scratched his chin.

"Eris, have you ever talked to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Leopold before?" Marshal Staufer asked.

"Not in this life," Eris thought before answering. "I haven't. Why do you ask?"

"He told me he wanted to talk to you," the man said.

Eris furrowed her brow.

"That is strange," she spoke before thinking. "Why would he want to talk to me? He shouldn't care about Armand at this point. He never cared about the disasters or monsters either. And he won't cheat on his sister. Did I underestimate Armand again? Does he have more influence in court than I thought?"

Marshal Staufer nodded.

"I can't disagree with that. Prince Leopold never talked about you before. He never even brought up Armand. So, I don't know what he wants," he said.

Then, a thought came to Eris' mind. It brought a smile to her face.

"What if Prince Leopold can remember what happened before Armand turned back time? If he did, then he might be trying to recruit me to his and his sister's plan early. If that's the case, it'll make stabbing him in the back much easier. That's something both Armand and I want, so I'll just tell him when he wakes up," Eris thought.

She then stood up.

"There's no refusing a summon from a member of the royal family for a noble of my rank," the girl lied. "Where am I meeting Prince Leopold?"

"My men will escort you there. I'll keep an eye on Armand while you're away," Marshal Staufer said.

Eris was taken on a carriage ride through the capital. Eventually, she arrived at a tall building. It was made of white marble and had grand pillars that stretched high before connecting to its polished roof. The floor was so clean that you could see your reflection in them.

"The Eastern Palace, one of the four imperial palaces in the capital. The royal family doesn't use this one often, except for private meetings. Maybe the eldest princess will be here too?" Eris pondered.

She stepped out of the carriage and walked over to the long set of stairs leading to the building. Marshal Staufer's men followed her. Eris gazed up at the building as she moved up its steps one by one.

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When the girl reached the door, a boy a few years older than she stepped outside. He was tall with red hair and silver eyes. There was a charming smile on his face. The boy was wearing fancy purple clothes with black stripes. Numerous jewels bedecked his garments. In short, his clothes were so expensive that you could buy entire castles for less money than his sleeves were worth.

"Lady Eris Hapsburg, I presume," he said.

Eris curtsied.

"The very same. It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness," she replied.

"Yes, it most certainly is," Prince Leopold nodded. "Come inside. We must talk alone."

He motioned to the guards, who stopped in their tracks. Then, Leopold turned and entered the building with Eris following him.

The inside was filled with long hallways, dozens of rooms, and walls covered with paintings. Most of the pictures were of various members of the royal family, both currently living and deceased. But a few images depicted battles. There were also busts of various royals and some other important historical figures.

Prince Leopold led Eris into a room with a small mahogany table and a beautiful white tablecloth. A tea set was on the table, and there were several snacks there too. The prince sat on one side. Eris took the other seat.

"So, Lady Eris, what do you think of the capital?" Prince Leopold asked.

"I should bait him to find out if he remembers the last time around. Outright saying I remember would be a bad idea, so I'll hint at it," Eris thought before speaking. "It is a lovely place. It has been a while since I was last here."

Prince Leopold shrugged.

"Considering your age, I doubt you remember the last time you were in the capital. It's not like it changed much over the years," he said.

"Very true, Your Highness. The capital as it is today is very similar to how it was years ago. And I suspect that it won't change much in the future," Eris replied.

Prince Leopold nodded.

"I suppose it won't," he shrugged.

The prince poured a drink of tea and took a sip. Eris made sure to not do the same. Leopold gave her a small smile when he noticed it.

"Aren't you hungry or thirsty?" the prince asked.

"I'm not. I ate before I came here," Eris answered.

"A pity," Leopold said. "This food is incredible. You get a lot of meals like this at the royal palace. It's beyond anything someone from a count's family could expect to have."

Eris gave him a smile.

"I thank you for your generosity, Your Highness," she said.

The girl then poured some tea for herself. She placed the cup to her mouth and pretended to drink it. Prince Leopold seemed satisfied by that, so he turned to a different topic.

"I am certain you are wondering why I called you here."

"Yes, I am," Eris said.

"It's about your fiance," Prince Leopold replied. "I want you to kill him."

The girl put her drink down. She looked Prince Leopold dead in the eyes. A moment of silence passed between them.

"I see. You're serious about this," Eris stated with a cold voice.

"Of course. None of my assassins could get past Marshal Staufer's guards, and you have direct access to Armand's room," he explained.

Then, Prince Leopold gave her a smile.

"I understand this is an unusual request, one that most noblewomen would hesitate to take. But I know you're the sort of person who'll do anything for power. And as the prince, I can get you more power than your fiance ever could," he said.

The girl gave him a contemplative expression.

"Why do you want to kill Armand?" Eris asked.

"That is my business and mine alone," Prince Leopold answered. "All you need to think of is how I'm going to reward you. And I will give you a greater reward than you could ever have hoped for. Tell me, how would you like to be an archduchess?"

The girl's eyes widened in shock. Her jaw dropped. Eris placed her hands on her lap.

"An archduchess? That would mean..." she started.

"That the only people in the kingdom who would outrank you are my parents. And I have the power to make you an archduchess. More than that, I could arrange for you to marry the prince of some foreign land. You'd become a queen in due time. I understand that most nobles of Foldzar aren't interested in foreign affairs, but perhaps you'd accept it because of the power it gets you?" Prince Leopold suggested.

"A queen...Queen Eris..." the girl smiled. "I like the sound of that."

Leopold grinned wider than ever before.

"So, do you accept my offer?" he asked.

"Let me pour you some tea," Eris stood up, walking over to the teapot.

She placed her hand on the spout as she poured the tea. Prince Leopold thought this was unusual, but he put that aside.

"Thank you, Lady Eris," the prince said.

"I just need one reassurance first," Eris replied.

The girl walked over to her seat and sat down on it.

"Why do you want to kill Armand so badly that you'd make me an archduchess for it?" she asked. "You don't have to give the full reason if you don't want to."

"Let's just say that he is one of the biggest threats to my plans in all of Foldzar," Leopold answered.

Eris nodded.

"He is quite cunning, but in his current state, I could poison him and no one would ever know," she answered.

"How long will it take your poison to kill him?" the prince questioned.

"2 weeks," Eris said. "He'll be stone dead after that."

Leopold grinned.

"And when Lord Armand's death is confirmed, I will convince Father to make you an archduchess. I am certain that you know I always reward my followers," he stated.

"Yes, especially someone as dangerous as me," Eris replied.

Prince Leopold chuckled.

"You are only interested in power, Lady Eris. As long as I can grant you more power, I am perfectly safe. Just like how the world's richest man will never have to worry about his mercenaries betraying him," Leopold said.

He then drank the tea Eris poured for him. The prince downed the entire cup before standing up.

"I will not keep you any longer, Lady Eris. You have a busy time killing your fiance, after all," Prince Leopold stated.

Eris stood up and curtsied.

"Yes. I will see you in two weeks, Your Highness. I promise you that things will go exactly according to plan," she said.

"I know they will, Lady Eris," he replied.

As Eris left the room and could no longer be seen by the crown prince, her smile changed. It went from warm to completely and utterly sadistic. Her face turned into a mixture of anger and raw malice.

"Your Royal Highness Prince Leopold, I hope you enjoy shitting yourself to death. I will not allow anyone who wants Armand dead to live," Eris thought. "And I hope you die never figuring out that my favorite poison only takes one week to kill someone, not two."

Leaving the palace, Eris wondered how she was going to explain to Armand that she killed the crown prince.