"Are you ready, Lady Rhiannon?"

The question startled her where she stood staring out the window of her would-be bedchamber. They had moved her into it that morning to get ready for the imminent wedding.

Today.

Soon.

Her hands on the windowsill gripped tighter, and she closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"I'll be there in a moment," she called.

In an amazing feat, the wedding had been planned in as little as three weeks, and in an equally amazing feat, she had avoided everyone in the castle for the same amount of time. Every meal taken in her guest room, any visitor at her door denied. She'd spent the time trying to come up with a plan to avert the whole debacle, but to no avail.

She could never return the stolen item to the Son of Deva. It would potentially spell the doom of them all. Equally, she had no desire to murder Baudwin. As betrayed as she felt over his deceit, he was a good man. A stupid man, but good. He definitely didn't deserve death.

But what options did she have? She'd considered them all. Running away would mean they would spill her secrets, and the repercussions of that were impossible to calculate. And she couldn't be sure that they wouldn't simply find someone else to kill Baudwin if they truly wanted him dead. He was safer while she was there, his intended assassin.

Turning around, she studied the furnishings of her new lodgings. It was a large bedchamber, connected to a sitting room she shared with Baudwin, his bedchamber connected on the opposite side. Ailla had explained this as they arrived that morning, pointing out that she would always have easy access to her target.

The bedchamber was beautifully decorated in the red and gold colours of the Breoch royal family, with ornate furniture of dark wood from the Breoch forests. The imposing four-poster bed dominating one wall was impossible to ignore. Was that where they would spend their wedding night?

The idea of sharing a bed with Baudwin again wasn't unpleasant, but it would be safer for them both if she kept her distance. Would-be assassins shouldn't sleep with their intended victims. There was no need to make their already complicated relationship even more so.

"You had better come now, my lady." Ailla re-appeared at the door to the sitting room, her forehead knotted in annoyance. "Or you'll be late to your own wedding."

"Right." Rhiannon nodded while her heart sank.

"I've indulged your brooding until now," the lady's maid hissed under her breath as they walked together down the hallways. "But after today we expect you to play your role as the loving wife. You need to gain the king's confidence."

"Why?" They obviously weren't ready to have him killed yet. What did they want from him?

"If he confides in you, whatever it is. You will tell us. We must keep abreast of what is happening in the kingdoms." Ailla stepped behind her to pick up the long trail on her dress as they reached the top of the stairs.

Taking one step at a time, Rhiannon slowly descended the winding staircase. Did that mean they had spies in every kingdom? The thought was terrifying, if not surprising. Son of Deva had always known the day would come when he would make a move. Was that day approaching, then? But why did they need Baudwin dead? It seemed the more she found out, the more questions she had.

They stopped by the doors to the Great Hall where the wedding would take place. Royal guards sporting the Breoch colours stood along the walls, tapestries of the same colours covering the walls. Ailla flitted around her, making sure she looked presentable. It wasn't as if Baudwin would refuse to marry her if she had a strand of hair out of place.

The lady's maid made some adjustments to the dress, cinching the waist another half inch—breathing was overrated anyway—and making sure the long train wouldn't get tangled in her feet as she walked. The other woman tucked away an errant lock and scrutinised the hairdo; an intricate braid around her head like a crown, with the rest of her hair cascading down her back. Finally, Ailla attached a sheer veil to the braid and folded it down to cover her face. It might be as fine as cobwebs, but it felt like a shield. She needed that today.

Taking a step back, the lady's maid inspected her. "Yes. That'll do. The king won't know what to do with himself. You'll have him wrapped around your finger in no time." She sounded inordinately pleased with herself.

Rhiannon couldn't argue. The green and gold damask dress was absolutely beautiful, with a golden bodice and an intricate golden pattern on a dark green background along the skirt and long sleeves. The cinched waist and tight corset underneath made her nearly spill out of the top of the dress. There wasn't a man in all of Breoch who wouldn't appreciate the sight of her today. She'd opted to wear the medallion from her father's family, and it rested on her raised bosom as if an offering on a plush cushion.

"Are you ready?" Ailla asked, her blue eyes almost kind.

Rhiannon doubted she'd give her any respite if she replied no, so she nodded stiffly. At the wave of the lady's maid, two of the guards opened the doors to the Great Hall. The din of conversation died away as people realised that the bride had arrived. Guests sitting on benches filled the immense Great Hall, nobles and high-ranking people from the kingdom. With the short notice, she doubted any royalty from other kingdoms would have had time to make the journey. Autumn colours dominated the hall, reds and oranges coupled with evergreens.

On the opposite side, in front of the royal throne, stood Baudwin with a priest. She took a deep breath. He had his back to her as he was chatting with the green-robed priest, but as the room quieted, he turned around.

No! No, no no!

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at Baudwin's clean-shaven face. His hair had been trimmed as well, and he looked every bit the handsome, royal king. But she knew that face. She had seen it before. Swallowing painfully, she closed her eyes for a moment. She knew why the Son of Deva wanted Baudwin dead.

He's seen his face.

How could she ever save him now?

~~~~~~