RAVENNA AND EOIN continued to walk through the streets. Their conversation was strange —it was filled with flirtatious comments and thousands of questions. It made it hard for her to map out her exact plan. However, the conversation was a good sign. The closer she got to Eoin, the easier it would be for her in the long run.

When they approached the marketplace again, their pace slowed. Several Blood Knights rushed toward them.

It made Ravenna's stomach somersault.

Eoin smiled, welcoming his fellow Knights. The men bowed their heads to him and began to prattle on about a status report. The knights detailed the sheer amount of casualties and injuries that the King's army had encountered. Ravenna hung back, listening to the flood of information quietly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of crimson. It was gone before she could blink. She frowned and turned her head toward it, her eyes scanning over the shadows.

Vyses was lurking near the edge of a nearby building, almost completely obscured within the darkness. He appeared disgruntled, his expression tainted with a hint of worry. She frowned at him, confused by his presence.

He was supposed to be preparing their ice soldiers for a new attack.

The moment the Blood Knights moved on and Eoin returned his focus to Ravenna, Vyses emerged from the shadows. Ravenna pursed her lips as he walked toward them.

Eoin followed her gaze and frowned at Vyses.

Vyses completely ignored him. He stared at Ravenna. "I apologize for interrupting your night, but I require your assistance."

Ravenna's eyes widened. "Is everything alright?"

He sent a small, narrowed look toward Eoin. It was obvious that whatever Vyses needed to say wasn't meant to be heard by the prince. "Something is wrong with Lyth. We need to return to our lodging immediately."

Eoin blinked, shock and concern entering his features. "Is there anything I can do to help? We have several medics available, if needed."

That made Vyses frown. He stared at the dark haired Blood Knight, obviously unsure how to respond.

Ravenna smiled and put a hand on Eoin's shoulder. "We appreciate your concern," she said earnestly. "Lyth gets ill quite easily. I'm sure that he just needs some rest. We all do. It's been quite a long day."

"Are you certain?" Eoin seemed to hesitate.

Ravenna nodded and closed one eye in a wink. "We can continue our walk around the market tomorrow, once the sun has risen and the townsfolk have had a chance to recover. The market is so much more fun when it's filled with actual people."

A moment of tense silence passed, and then a smile appeared on Eoin's face. He bent forward into a slight bow, his arm flattened against his torso. "I look forward to it, Lady Ravenna," he said.

Annoyance emanated from Vyses in waves. He reached out, his fingers curling around her wrist. "We must leave now," he snapped and tugged her forward.

Eoin bid them a goodnight, his gaze lingering on Ravenna as she was pulled away. She waved to him and giggled. Once the prince had vanished from sight, she turned her attention to Vyses, pulling her wrist free.

Vyses whipped around to face her. His expression was marred with anger. "And what exactly was that?" he asked her. His tone dripped with a stinging sense of indignation.

"Relax," she told him. It took all of her self-control not to openly laugh at him. It was quite obvious that he was jealous. "Tell me what is wrong with Lyth?"

"Lyth is perfectly fine," he answered. His expression was dark. "The spell is malfunctioning. I'm not sure what exactly I did wrong, but they won't be ready to attack tonight. I am sorry, lass."

"That's alright," Ravenna assured him. "I have a new idea, anyways."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Is that so?"

"Once we get to the castle, away from all of the listening ears, I will elaborate on my new plan," she said.

Vyses made a face and started to grumble under his breath. His fingers found her wrist again. He tugged her forward, leading her deeper into the cursed forest that surrounded the castle.

When they entered the castle, Ravenna paused. Vyses turned to face her. His arms were folded across his chest, his wine-colored eyes narrowed with irritation. "Please elaborate your little plan, lass. Before I lose my mind."

"I must admit. It is quite humorous to me how much this seems to bother you," she teased. "It's simple really."

His jaw clenched tight.

Ravenna smiled proudly. "Eoin is the Crown Prince."

Vyses blinked at her.

It took a moment for her words to process inside his head. Once they did, Vyses closed his eyes and rubbed his fingertips against his temples. "Ravenna," he said, his voice low. "Are you insane?"

"He really is, I promise."

Vyses glared at her. "Oh, I believe you. I knew who he was the moment that I saw him. I just cannot fathom that you'd willingly risk all of our hard work and ruin all of our plans —just to flirt with the Crown Prince."

"Calm down," she warned him. "I have a very good reason."

He didn't respond. His lips wrinkled together into a tight line. Ravenna folded her arms across her chest. "I'm sure that even you noticed how Eoin is attracted to me."

"Yes, it was painfully obvious," he grumbled.

Ravenna smiled a slow smile. "Exactly. Think about it. I have the Crown Prince wrapped around my finger."

His eyebrows crinkled. "I suppose."

"I am not sure how, but I have gained his favor. He even prefers that I refer to him by his first name. Having him trust me so can be very beneficial for us," she said.

Vyses pouted. "I suppose that's true," he said reluctantly.

Ravenna beamed. "I think that we can use this as a way to get closer to the King. He might like me enough to take me back with him to the Capitol."

"I don't like it, lass," Vyses admitted. "What happens then? What happens if the prince decides to take you back to his castle? You won't be able to use magic to defend yourself. You will be under constant surveillance."

"Then I will be within the same walls as the King," she said. "Once I dispose of him and his court, I will be free to use my magic again. I will gain control and the Imperial guards will be under my command."

"And you are certain that you will be able to achieve all of that?"

Ravenna grinned. "Only if I have your support."

That made Vyses sigh loudly. He rubbed at his temples again and muttered under his breath. "This goes against our initial plan. The more towns that we have control over, the easier it will be to gain power. Even if you are able to take control from within the castle, that doesn't guarantee that the rest of the kingdom will follow your command."

"Then you can continue to follow our original plan," Ravenna said. "You and Lyth can go from town to town, replacing the guards with our ice soldiers. It would be suspicious if our attacks suddenly stopped. Once I have secured power, I can allow you entrance to the Capitol."

Vyses looked alarmed. "You aren't genuinely suggesting that we split up, lass." He took a step forward and placed a palm against her forehead. "Are you ill?"

"Of course not," Ravenna snapped and waved him away. "I'm not ill. But splitting up does make sense. I am sure that there is a spell that will allow us to communicate from afar."

He scowled at her. "You've made up your mind about this, haven't you?"

She nodded cheerfully.

His expression darkened. He heaved a sigh and rubbed at his temples again. "I hope that this prince is worth it," he grumbled under his breath.

"Eoin only served as inspiration. He is nothing more to me than that. I will use him to get inside the castle. Then I can take the kingdom down from the inside out."

Vyses pursed his lips. "If you say so, lass. I guess I have no choice."

"Just trust me, Vyses," Ravenna purred. "This will work."

hey friends!

I apologize for the late chapter upload. Things have been so crazy on my end. I promise I am working on getting a set schedule worked out! Thank you so much for your continued patience and support. I genuinely appreciate you all so much!! 

You mean the world to me!!! ❤

ash ❤