It was utter bedlam when I reached the wing of the building where Farnham had hidden before we found him. I had expected the staff to try and keep a tight lid on what was happening – but there were dozens of armed guards hurrying to and fro like a herd of decapitated chickens. I recovered Franklin from near the stairwell, who looked like he’d just run a marathon.

“What the hell happened to you?”

“Before I could get away the Royal Guard pulled me aside and started interrogating me about what happened. You know I’m a terrible liar, Maria – I had to come up with an explanation for how he ended up on the floor with a broken nose and a shattered vase.”

“They didn’t see your knuckles?”

“No. They didn’t notice. Is there a reason you came back to get me?”

“I’m looking for Mister Fleur. Theodore Van Walser walked past the room they were sitting in, and they’ve collectively decided that the contest is over because I’m stricken so strongly by his good looks and high station that I will reject them in pursuit of him.”

“If I may be frank for a moment, he is probably a better choice...”

“Spare me the mockery for a second. Have you seen him anywhere?”

He turned to face the corridor, which was now cordoned off and guarded by two armed men. If Fleur was in that direction then we wouldn’t be able to get him, and the interview process would come to a premature end as the rest of the bachelors pulled out in response.

“Nothing can ever be simple!” I complained.

Not only did I have to keep the plates spinning to have an excuse to be in the palace, but I also had to open up the space to go searching for whatever packages Farnham had smuggled into the building while nobody was paying attention. If the bachelors all gave up at the same time then my stay would be cut short, and Thersyn would be in serious trouble.

If Thersyn died – then all kinds of hell would break loose across the nation, and that chaos would disproportionally benefit Sloan and his insane plan, whatever it was. I was starting to think that pulling the trigger on Welt’s assassination was a bad idea. Hindsight was twenty-twenty though. I never expected Sloan to take over.

I was stuck. I had to find Fleur before my cover story fell apart.

It was time to swallow my pride and play the part of an entitled noble once again. Puffing out my chest and putting on a frustrated expression, I approached one of the guards and begged for their attention.

“Excuse me, gentlemen – but have you seen Mister Fleur? There is an urgent matter I must speak with him about as soon as possible.”

The guard shot me a look that said my problem wasn’t anywhere near as urgent as the one that Fleur was currently occupied with. These guards were just as good at placating uptight nobles as they were at combat, so he did not say that aloud and deferred to a more palatable response.

“Apologies, my lady. Mister Fleur is presently occupied with an incident that demands his attention. May I forward your concerns to him?”

I crossed my arms and tapped my foot impatiently, “I’m afraid it simply cannot wait. Mister Fleur told me that it was his primary responsibility to respond to the needs of the royal family – and I doubt that they’ll be happy should the worst come to pass.”

“What appears to be the problem, ma’am?”

I did my best to explain in fine (and extremely snooty) detail about what was happening with Theodore and the other suitors in the sitting room, and how unhappy their parents would be if the whole arrangement collapsed merely because they were demoralized by his mere presence in the same building.

He did not accept that as an urgent issue that superseded the attempted assassination of the former King, but he was duty-bound to find Fleur and relay what I said to him regardless of his personal opinion. He nodded, moved away from his station by the entryway, and disappeared out of sight to search for him.

He probably felt that Fleur was trying to upset him when he marched down that same hallway a few minutes later to meet with me. I put on a show of looking flustered about the situation for him.

“It’s a disaster. There won’t be anyone left to forward the proposal to at this rate!”

“Why? What happened?”

“Theodore walked by the sitting room and for whatever reason they’ve all concluded that I’m now enraptured with him, despite the fact that we attend the very same academy, and no such romance has developed before this point.”

Fleur tried his best not to let his irritation shine through the wrinkles on his face, “Ah. I see. Yes – that has happened once or twice, or thrice, or maybe five times before. The young ladies who visit can be very fickle, and it does damage their confidence somewhat.”

“I’m hardly the person to entrust a collective therapy session to. Do you have any good ideas we can use to get them all back on track?”

Fleur stroked his chin and thought about his options, “It is my responsibility to their parents to ensure that the full process is played out as intended. Have you tried complimenting them?”

My face dropped like a rock, “Complimenting them?”

“Yes. I’m sure praise from a beautiful young lady will perk them up again. They’re afraid of losing out to Theodore, you see, so this would be an effective remedy to the situation.”

Franklin shook his head, “She doesn’t do compliments.”

Fleur was visibly confused, “Doesn’t... do them?”

“Oh, she’s always polite and praises the servants, and gives credit to those who perform well in their duties of obligations, but I’ve never once heard the young mistress offer so much as a word of flattery for anyone.”

I glared at him. Franklin shot up straight and tensed his entire body like a statue.

“I am no flirt, not at all.”

I had subjected myself to many different humiliations since becoming Maria, even when nobody was going to judge me for doing them. They saw the rightful actions of a young noble lady and nothing more, but that did little to blunt the shame of having to act the part at balls and parties or keeping on airs at the academy.

There was one line that I refused to cross. I could not and would not bear the burden of massaging the ego of every narcissistic boy I crossed paths with. All of the nobles claimed that young ladies should be reserved and well-mannered, but they actually wanted them to sing the praises of every guy they met. How to walk that nightmarishly thin line between being a harlot and a prospective betrothal partner was left unsaid.

It wasn’t happening. My lips simply could not contort themselves into the necessary shape to offer such coquettish words. To make me do so would be like drawing blood from a stone!

“There’s nothing crude about it,” Fleur reasoned, “There must be an elegant way to deliver that impression to them without upsetting your standards.”

I could tell that this guy was used to managing the egos of his employers. He had the tone and smooth language of an expert negotiator. The problem was that he was talking to a middle-aged man in a teenager’s body, and I wasn’t going to budge no matter how he rephrased the proposal.

Franklin pulled Fleur aside and whispered something to him.

“Really? Not even once?”

Franklin shook his head, “It seems to be a red line.”

“I can still hear you both!” I sang.

He decided to try a different style of rhetoric. Franklin swallowed his fear and made an observation that would make or break the entire process.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“I understand that you are not comfortable with coy words, but I have to mention that such things will be expected as a matter of course should you choose to marry one of them.”

That was the funniest goddamn thing I’d heard during my entire second life thus far. Who the hell did he think he was kidding with a statement like that? If there was one aspect of most noble marriages that defined them – it was a complete and total lack of genuine intimacy between the partners.

This was a world of political and convenient weddings. They’d get together, pump out a few kids, and then spend the rest of their lives trying to avoid one another. It boggled my mind that Franklin could deploy that argument against me. Even Fleur wasn’t brave enough to nod along with that canard.

“I highly doubt that is the case. I think every one of those boys would be pleased as a pig in muck to have me a trophy they can parade around. I could never speak a word to them for the rest of my days and it wouldn’t dull their enthusiasm.”

Fleur sighed, “You are a very beautiful young lady, but they need to feel motivated to participate in the interview.”

Not the point I was trying to make. It was obvious that all of them were entitled chauvinists who didn’t care one bit about the personality of the woman they were hitching their lives to. As long as I looked pretty and kept my mouth shut, they would be happy with the situation. In essence, I was asking why flirting with them was even a requirement.

But Fleur thought I was bragging about my looks instead. Acting like this around people was a double-edged sword because they could interpret my words in an entirely different way than the one I intended. I had to be more careful. Fleur had never met me before.

“I was hoping that you would have an answer to the problem. You said before that you handle all matters relating to the different branches of the family, ensuring that they’re well-tended to and happy.”

He was a glorified babysitter for grown adults.

“I’m afraid that my last attempt to navigate this issue was a failure, and those boys haven’t forgiven Theodore for it in the months following. They become discouraged rather easily when he is involved.”

Fleur was pushing the task of finding a solution onto me then. I threw up my hands and made a show of being disappointed by his lack of initiative, but he wasn’t budging. I really was going to have to try and beguile them with my looks and words, or else I wouldn’t have a reason to be in the palace.

“Very well! Remain here if you must, and I’ll create my own solution.”

Fleur did exactly that. I dragged Franklin along with me and returned to the reception room, hovering by the door while I wracked my mind for a good way to get things back on track.

Franklin peered through a crack in the door, “Perhaps a break is warranted?”

“No. If we let them go, they won’t be back. I have to nip this in the bud.”

It was time to demonstrate the incredible social skills that I had accumulated over years of working as an assassin and while enduring my new life as a noble lady in waiting. It was safe to say that many people across the nation would hang onto my every utterance. It was of vital importance that I went above and beyond in the here and now to keep the plan from falling to pieces!

I collected myself and took a moment to think through what I was going to say.

“Okay. Let us begin.”

Franklin opened the door and stood beside it as was proper of my personal servant. I followed him through and headed back to the prime speaking position in the centre of the reception room. I was surrounded on all sides by young men who were trapped in the throes of despair, and only the high-class charm of Maria Walston-Carter could save them.

I clapped my hands and drew their attention back to me.

“Honestly, what do you all think you are doing? Is this all it takes for Theodore to so thoroughly demoralize you? If you give up so easily – it is no wonder that you’ve had no success thus far.”

Felix chuckled into his closed fist. He was having a great time watching everyone lose their heads over Theodore walking past, despite being the first one to do so when we were outside.

“You all have... certain qualities that Theodore does not. For a start, you make better conversation than he does!”

Because Theodore was nicknamed the ‘Ice King’ at school. He never talked with anyone, and those who tried were quickly chased away. Getting a poor quality and testy discussion with these guys was more of a stimulating experience. It was technically true! The best kind of true.

“You dress well, and keep yourselves trimmed and clean, and your faces are downright tolerable.”

Okay – I might have fucked this up.

I paused and assessed the damage I did by saying that. That wasn’t a compliment at all! I was just insulting them with backhanded praise. Who the hell was I to think that I could successfully flirt with these people? Playing a lot of visual novels was not training for romance in real life.

Slowly, one by one, the boys slowly withdrew from their shells and paid closer attention to me. One of them, a guy named Adalbert, stood from his seat and spoke about what was on his mind.

“Lady Maria, that may be the...”

End of this interview process, and the near-certain death of the King?

“... the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to us!”

Oh. Of course.

To my endless shock, the other suitors all nodded in concurrence with his opinion. Being told that they were ‘tolerable’ was seemingly a cut above what every other girl who came here was willing to offer them.

“I mean, there have been many girls passing through the gates to host these marriage contests – but I have to praise your earnestness. Usually, they become grossly frustrated and hurl insults at us.”

The room recollected some of those instances.

“They do tend to do that...”

“That’s right. The last one said I have a face like a bruised potato.”

“Remember when that girl threw her shoe at Eike?”

What in the Goddess’ holy name were these people up to when I wasn’t around? Were the other girls thin-skinned or did I possess the patience of a saint? It was obvious from their stories that none of these interviews ever went well – which may explain their attraction to Theodore more than his station or good looks.

“That’s all well and good, but you should focus on what’s happening right now. I won’t pretend that it’s a certainty, but I hope that you will all put forth your best effort from now on and forget about Theodore.”

They were so enamoured with me that it didn’t matter what I said or did. They were going to ride this sinking ship all the way to the sea floor. That was perfect for my purposes. I could even stretch the competition out a little more by asking for further discussions and acting indecisive.

On the other hand, I was now forced to endure even more of this bullshit.

Never let anyone say that I wasn’t willing to take one for the team.

I endured the rest of the discussions with them in the two hours that followed before the end was called. I accompanied Franklin back to the dining hall for our evening meal before we were intercepted by Fleur on the way out.

“Allow me to show you to your guest room, Lady Maria.”

“Thank you. I do have a question though. I am something of a restless sleeper, would it be permitted for me to walk the halls at night?”

Fleur was going to be slack on whatever rules were in place when it came to a verified guest such as me.

“I don’t see why that would be an issue. All of the relevant staff know that you are staying with us. The only place you should avoid are the King’s wing and the area that has been cordoned off downstairs.”

The restricted areas of the palace had guards in place twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It was not difficult to determine where I was allowed to go. It was likely that Farnham had hidden his packages in the areas that were lightly patrolled so as to avoid the possibility of being caught.

“Thank you.”

With that last item sorted out, Fleur left to go back to his usual business. It was obvious that he was being pulled away from the betrothal competition to help organize a search of the palace for whoever was working with Farnham. Either they were being cautious or he had sung like a canary to the Royal Guard to keep all of his teeth intact.

But like everything that involved me – I was going to have to be the one to resolve the issue. It was simple narrative structure. Why would I even be standing in this guest bedroom if not for the need of my presence? Durandia had seen this coming and stood aside to let it happen.

The task was a daunting one. There was no way that I could thoroughly search hundreds of rooms looking for where Farnham had left his deliveries. Some of these rooms were gigantic too, with dozens of places to conceal all kinds of horrible things.

“Franklin, I need you to give me a helping hand with this.”

“I can’t say I understand why you go to such lengths, but I am duty-bound to follow you no matter where you go.”

“It’s simple. I would like for Walser to continue on without experiencing any more mass bloodshed like what happened during the civil war. Nor do I wish to see a repeat of what happened at our manor.”

Franklin’s face turned sour; “You mean the massacre?”

We had never openly spoke of the cultist incident since it happened. Franklin was never interested in repeating what he saw during that time, and I knew better than to pressure him into a heart-to-heart that he did not want.

“Yes. A climate such as this emboldens the worst types of people. Through a chain of cause and effect, the very same monarchists who now threaten the stability of the nation assisted those cultists in launching their attack. They all see opportunity in suffering.”

He exhaled through his nose, “Apologies, but there is only one group of people who I can find the reason to blame.”

“It matters. When the craven and the ambitious see so much opportunity they will not relent to their better nature. The Scuncath felt emboldened by the political situation, and now those same politicians see a weakness in the government that they can exploit. All of them want the same outcome.”

“That being?”

“To be remembered. Buildings crumble, railways and roads are stripped away and replaced, and statues may be toppled if history does not look kindly on them. To engrave your name into the pages of history is their desire, as they already possess everything else a man could ever need.”

I walked to the window where a globe of the planet was held aloft by a grass frame. I placed my hand over Walser and spun it with force, completing four rotations from a single touch.

“Ekkehard and Sloan want Thersyn dead. He’s the most popular member of the royal family, and thus he ironically poses the biggest threat to their attempts to reinstitute the monarchy as supreme over all.”

Thersyn was the one who compromised to end the civil war. If he died there would be no pumping the breaks on what was coming down the track. It would be a return to some of the darkest days in the nation’s history – and more importantly, it would push us one step closer to total destruction.

Sloan was the man who had the means to do it, but the question remained large in my mind. Why? Could it be arrogance, nihilism, or something else? What drove Sloan to become the antagonist in this story?

It was time for us to begin our inspection of the palace. I switched into a set of comfortable sleeping clothes to enhance the image of a restless noble trying to tire herself out by wandering the halls at night. Franklin remained silent, leaving the room to give me some privacy.

I considered bringing my gun, still tucked into the bottom of my trunk, but thought better of it. The last thing I needed was for some overzealous guard to search me for contraband. I slammed it shut and left the room.

“Ready?” I asked.

“As I can be, ma’am.”