Dante and Blukke stood against the wall behind the only empty chaise of Princess Kallia’s entertaining suite in their guard uniforms when Neros entered. Breakfast was still laid out on the low table as Prince Pretty-Boy glided across the room, the midmorning sun highlighting his dark hair and pleasant features. He wore simple clothes, no crown, and didn’t seem to have any weapons, though Dante was sure that lightning gift of his could do some harm. Dante nudged Blukke and his friend nodded at him, confirming he’d already stifled the prince’s gift as soon as he walked in.

Neros glanced at the two men before he took a seat on the chaise in front of them and across from Kallia, the princess gesturing to it with a charming smile on her face. Prim and Bristol sat on their own chaises. Each of the trio wore their customary dresses, and Dante had braided their hair upon request: an elegant, complicated style for Kallia, a simple, well-executed style for Bristol, and the style of the North for Prim. Each handmaiden sat with their legs crossed while the princess sat with her ankles crossed. All three had their hands folded upon their knees, matching smiles plastered to their faces as they stared at the prince.

Dante almost felt sorry for him. There was something terrifying about the women with their identically intense gazes.

Indeed, Dante heard the prince swallow, though he couldn’t see his face from this position--a necessity so the prince couldn’t see him as they’d planned for Dante to signal the women during the conversation. A tap on the nose for truths. A tug on the ear for lies.

“I must admit I was quite pleased to receive your summons this morning, Princess,” the prince said in his rolling accent. His voice was confident but his body language was stiff. He sat straight up with his hands awkwardly palming his thighs.

Kallia tilted her head, her smile remaining. “Pleased? Then you haven’t guessed what this meeting is about?”

The princess paused to let the prince respond, but he made no reply. No doubt he was making the face of a fish out of water, but he didn’t attempt to attack or run. Dante and Blukke were both prepared to stop him with their magic if he did.

Kallia now dipped her chin, her smile more menacing at the angle. “I know about your scheme, Prince Neros.”

The prince swallowed again. “I beg your pardon?”

The princess removed her left hand from where it rested on her knee, holding it up to inspect her fingernails. Then she twisted it around to aim the back of her hand at the prince and tapped her marriage finger with her other hand. “You want my hand to go to you instead of your brother.”

The prince turned to Prim. She only continued her intense gaze, that unnerving smile on her lips. He turned back to Kallia when the princess continued. Dante, however, kept his gaze on Prim a bit longer enjoying the complex feeling of lust, fear, and pride she was eliciting in him right now.

“Of course my handmaiden reported your visit to me. Did you think she wouldn’t?” Kallia drawled.

The prince cleared his throat. “It doesn’t matter to me if she reported it or not. I only wish you to see the merit in my proposition. If you want me to make my case myself, I would be happy to do so. I would be happy to make you happy in any way I can.”

Kallia untangled her ankles to cross her legs at the thigh like the handmaidens. Her smile remained, but she didn’t refold her hands on top of a knee. Instead she stretched her arms out along the back of the chaise. She was rather impressive at radiating power without saying anything, especially for someone so young and innocent-looking.

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“What would you do, Neros, to win my hand?” Kallia’s voice was smooth and seductive.

The prince seemed to relax a bit, and he, too, leaned back into the chaise, crossing an ankle over his knee. He didn’t see the trap. “Whatever you wanted me to, Princess. I would love you, spoil you, care for you. More importantly, I would care for Wassalia.”

Kallia didn’t move. “What else would you do?”

Dante heard the change in the prince’s heartbeat. He was starting to get nervous.

“Anything, my princess. Anything you ask of me, it will be done.”

Kallia breathed a laugh, removing an arm from the back of the chaise to run her fingers along her collarbone then return it to its resting place. “I don’t mean what would you do that I ask of you. I would expect you to do what I ask. I mean, what would you do to ensure I married you rather than Egan?”

Neros’s heartbeat quickened even more. “I’m not sure I understand the question,” he stammered.

Kallia dragged her eyes to Prim and nodded. The handmaiden extracted the order from her pocket and placed it on the table in front of Neros before retaking her seat and that purposeful pose of intimidation. All three women continued their smiling stare as Neros looked over the parchment and his heart began beating wildly.

Kallia tilted her head again. “Not many people would look at that paper and see it for what it was. But I surround myself with exceptionally dedicated individuals who know better than to disappoint me. Now do you understand the question, Prince?”

“No. I don’t know what that is,” the prince said, averting his eyes. Dante tugged his ear when the women looked at him.

Prim released a breathy chuckle. “I thought you knew we could tell when you’re lying? Why make this more difficult on yourself?”

Neros made to stand up, but Dante pushed him back down with a phantom hand, eliciting a shocked release of breath from the prince. Dante didn’t grip him; not yet. He just wanted the prince to know he wasn’t going anywhere until Kallia released him.

Kallia made a knocking noise with her tongue. “Hiring someone to kill the crown princess is an act of war. I could have you executed right now. It would be justified; your parents wouldn’t be able to retaliate.” She laughed darkly. “Honestly, they’d likely thank me for punishing just you instead of their entire country.”

Neros’s breathing picked up, but even through the changes his fear was causing, Dante knew truth from lies. “Kill you?” The prince leaned forward to flip the page around, pointing at those two words off by themselves, then those other four. “I demanded you be unharmed and untouched. That only someone kind, trustworthy, and protective be sent after you--just to keep you away until I could offer myself to you. I didn’t hire anyone to kill you!”

All three women looked at Dante. He tapped his nose. The women then shared a look, their smiles only now fading.

Prim leaned forward, demanding the prince’s attention. “Who were you working with?”

Neros shook his head. “I don’t know. I didn’t actually set it up. I sent an aerial envoy months ago to find someone in Hogard that could get you away while also keeping you safe. They said they found a man who deals in such requests. His name started with an S, but I can’t recall it.”

“Sol Somanti,” Prim offered. The prince nodded, but she shook her head, smoothing down her blue skirts. “We knew that already. I want to know who you were working with to hatch this plan. Who else was involved?”

It could be the aerial envoy who added the line about the assassination, Dante supposed. But they’d have to learn a lot more about them to determine if that was a viable suspect or not.

The prince sighed. When he answered, he spoke to Kallia. “Nobody. Egan didn’t want to marry you. I did. I just needed a little time, then we could have all been happy.”

Dante tapped his nose. Kallia pursed her lips and looked at Prim. “Tell him.”

Neros straightened, turning his attention to Prim. “Tell me what?”