Ava shot an arrow into the hay target. It embedded itself near the outer edges. Exacerbated, she exhaled heavily. Her aim was off. Her movement was stiff and her frame tense from frustration. She had hoped the time alone with her bow would calm her down, but this was worsening her mood.

A gaggle of giggles filled the silent air and the whispered hisses that followed broke her concentration. Ava tried to stifle her annoyance. Somehow, she had earned Lady Bethany’s ire and had become a walking spectacle for her and her handmaidens to gawk, point, whisper, and giggle over.

The pettiness of women was not a new concept for her. She had put a swift end to it when she had become much of the same for Zenith and her brothel sisters in Spectermere. But Lady Bethany’s situation would not be so easy to handle.

Caeden had assigned Ava a handmaid of her own, Gretchen. Apart from being a nonstop gossip and chatterbox, the girl was friendly and cheerful for the most part. It was from her that she had learned of Caeden’s marriage prospects, enlightening her to just how deeply Kael had dragged her into his intrigues. It would have been easier to tell Caeden of the relationship between the two back when she first met Kael. Curse my stubbornness.

Neither had been around these past few days, robbing her of the opportunity to remedy this issue quickly. While Kael had been organising the evacuation, Caeden was back in Landon wrapped up in the bureaucracy between Haalfkinguit and Empire. It irritated her that they had landed her in this mess and went about their business as if nothing untoward had occurred. At the very least they had managed to convince the emperor to eject the Grand Master from the royal quarter and shuffle him back to the Mage’s Guild while Oswin conducted his study.

The queen had been quiet too, despite her threat. But the incident in the temple resulted in a new set of hostile knights shadowing her from a distance. She was certain that Kael had one of his assassins following her around as well.

The royal quarter had become a stiflingly hot prison without bars, and she needed to leave it behind. The wyvern would not wait any longer. The one grace was that Beast had found an exit—an unused tunnel to the outside. But to find its entrance from the inside, especially with all these guards following her around was nearly impossible. Regardless, there was something she needed to do first.

The giggles came again. Ava frowned, her irritation rising. She nocked another arrow, pivoted and sent it flying into the flowerpot on the balcony above them. It shattered into pieces and its dry contents poured over the women below.

Ava grinned as the women screamed and jumped away.

“How dare you?” Lady Bethany growled in their midst. Her pretty hair and dress were soiled with dirt and ash.

She nocked another arrow and pointed it directly at the noblewoman, her grin fading. She was done humouring their nonsense.

They shrieked in fear, nearly clamouring over each other in retreat. Ava laughed at the spectacle.

“You play dangerous games.”

Ava flinched at the sound of the amused voice and spun around. It took all her willpower not to hide her bow behind her back as the noble lady walked to her. Lady Ella, she assumed. She had the same vibrant green eyes as Caeden, though her blonde hair was more pale than golden. A gentle smirk pulled at her lips.

“I was not going to shoot her,” Ava admitted without thinking.

Lady Ella walked to the archery station and fidgeted with the arrows there, straightening each one.

“I know,” she sighed. “You think I disapprove? I do not. These noblewomen forget themselves and need to be reminded of their fragility. But I would advise you to pick your opponents carefully. You have antagonised two of them. Had you been anyone else, you would have lost your head.”

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“It would have been worth it,” Ava muttered to herself.

Caeden’s mother spoke as if she were not a noblewoman herself. According to Gretchen’s gossip, the woman had the emperor’s ear, making her close if not equal to the Queen in influence and power.

Lady Ella laughed. “You remind me of my younger self. It is fortunate that both the emperor and her son no longer listen to the queen’s fervent ramblings. And, that Lady Bethany has not yet engrained herself fully within key areas of influence. But that can change, the political dance is as fickle as your spirits. I will ensure that Lady Bethany does not bother you again with the agreement that you keep your head down. I say this for Caeden’s sake as well as yours.”

“Fine,” she mumbled, taking her place before the target and nocking another arrow.

She had been trying to do that exact thing. Lady Bethany’s continual harassment had made finding that exit harder. But at least she would not be a problem anymore. Ava shot an arrow into the target, elated that she had finally managed to get one closer to the center.

“You are quite skilled at archery. I would have liked to learn it myself. What drove you to pick it up?” she asked.

Ava looked at Lady Ella, trying to figure out why she was interested. If there was another motive behind her curiosity, she was far better at covering it up than Kael. Her question seemed earnest.

“I needed to know how to protect myself in Spectermere, one way or another. I had no magical capability, and the sword had limitations with my build and strength. Archery just seemed to come more naturally to me. Did you take up horse riding instead?”

Lady Ella laughed, bitterly. “No, my father thought such athletic pastimes would hinder my chances of marrying above my station. Most of my time was spent in etiquette lessons and winning over the nobles we often rubbed shoulders with.

“Suffering from naive confidence, I thought I had befriended a few of the more influential ones. Until a noblewoman’s snub shattered my very being. Every ‘friend’, and every invite disappeared overnight. I realized then that I had been a pet that humoured these nobles sometimes. Only to be discarded when I became socially unacceptable to be around. My family’s reputation was in ruins and our livelihood devastated all because I dared exist next to her.”

“I – I’m sorry,” Ava responded awkwardly.

“Do not be. I got my revenge in the end.”

“What did you do?”

“I seduced that noblewoman’s husband and bore him a child,” she said with a bitter smirk. “I knew the cost would be my head, but I thought it worth that risk at the time. Of course, I had nothing to lose and her life to gain. And all those nobles who snubbed me because of her are my pets now. Come, teach me the basics.”

Utterly dumbfounded, Ava went to pick out a beginner’s bow and tutored her through the stance, showing her how to aim and when to release. It was hard to grasp that Caeden’s seemingly benign mother was that ruthless.

“You do not approve?” she asked quizzically.

“I – It is not something I would do, no,” Ava responded with a discomforted laugh. “Not that I can anyway, men are repelled by what I am.”

“I disagree. You will become very dangerous once you realise that,” Lady Ella countered, she tilted her head curiously as she considered Ava.

Ava shook her head at the idea. She just did not have the nerve to follow through with seduction. It required far more than she was willing to give.

With the bow in hand, Lady Ella seemed to shrug off her refinement. Her eyes glimmered with wild excitement. She was freer, unburdened – happier.

“Do you not regret anything at all?” Ava asked with a frown.

Lady Ella shifted uncomfortably.

“Some days. I am not as cold as some may think. But it is hard to be remorseful considering the despair I crawled out of, and Caeden was a joy I would not give up for anything. His well-being is my life’s purpose. ‘My charge. My duty. My cause.’ As he would put it.”

Her first shot landed on the floor before them, the arrow skittering across it to a stop.

“Curses!” she exclaimed.

“Be patient with yourself, you have accomplished more than most on their first try,” Ava responded, retrieving the arrow for another attempt.

After correcting her stance, Lady Ella’s second attempt landed just before the target.

“Ah-ha, you see! With some practice and less restrictive clothing, you will manage to get the target eventually.”

“Are you feeling more at home? Gretchen mentioned that you seem a bit restless,” Lady Ella asked after a few more shots.

“This is not my home. My home died with Minervin,” Ava bit out. The question had caught her off guard. “I wonder if I am even a guest. Guests tend to be free enough to leave.”

“I see,” Lady Ella pondered. “Where would you go? I hope you understand that the Wyvern is out of the question.”

“The – market? I have seen so little of this place.”

“Well, that can be easily remedied. I shall arrange the details immediately,” Lady Ella stated cheerily.

She returned the bow to the table and adopted the stance of a graceful noblewoman again. Before leaving, she took Ava's hands gently into hers.

“Ava, if you feel stifled again, please come to me directly. Neither I nor Caeden wish you to feel like a prisoner here.”