Another messenger appeared after a week of waiting. It was the worst week of my life. Keeping the doctor off my heels was not easy. He kept urging me to change my diet, he was worried that I was falling to the same fate as my father. Something was wrong with this place was his newest catchphrase.

The guard approached with the letter, warily handing it to me. I opened it with Asa and my mother watching on.

"Well?" My mother asked.

"The king has accepted the invitation and will be here at midnight."

Closing the letter, I turned my attention to the guard.

"Be prepared for the army to arrive tonight. The king of province five, his advisor and no more than two guards may pass through the gate but no one else. They are not permitted to have any weapons on them and if they are not prepared to walk into this estate in such circumstances then refuse entry until they change their mind. That is all."

He nodded and returned to the path back to the gatehouse.

"Mother, I think it is time for you to leave for the safe house."

"I will not leave you in your hour of triumph."

"And what if it is my hour of failure?"

"Then I will stand beside you and accept what fate awaits us."

"Mother, you are a stubborn mule."

She smiled at me.

"And I passed on those amazing genes to my daughter."

That you certainly did.

"Asa, send the unnecessary staff home for the evening."

"As you wish, my lady."

He closed the doors and then set about his task.

"You still look ill."

"I still feel ill." I returned.

"Hank has been looking for you, said it was important."

I rolled my eyes.

"He thinks that an itchy foot is important, mother."

She chuckled, nodding.

"Still, he is a worthy doctor and your father thought a lot of him. He tried so hard to save your father. I think that it has upset him that he failed and now that you are sick, he sees that history is repeating itself. He's worried for you, Dahlia."

Flicking her head, she gestured to the stairs. Reluctantly, I nodded and wandered to the archway. It sat in the center of the two grand staircases, beyond the archway was the informal sitting rooms and parlors.

More recently, the doctor had set up an office here. It was only temporary so that he could be on call for my father's needs. With his passing, Hank had started to pack up his things. He was returning to the hospital now that he was not needed. Or at least, he didn't think he was needed. I wasn't so sure right about now.

Hank's eyes rose when I appeared in the doorway.

"My lady, come in, please."

He stood and closed the door behind me.

"Thank you for coming to see me. I know that I have been a bit of a pest of late but I was worried about your health. Having seen your father start off like this, it concerned me that you were going to fall to the mystery ailment too. Please, take a seat."

I sat down, wondering why he was so damned chipper.

"Hank, is everything okay?"

He offered a weak smile.

"I don't know for certain, but I am pleased to say that I have an answer for you. How are you feeling today?"

"The same. My stomach keeps turning over, I can't sleep, I can't sit still. My clothes feel like their constricting me, every single fabric is itchy. I drink blood but it doesn't seem to be enough."

I looked up at Hank, he offered a genuine smile.

"What?"

"You're pregnant."

I stared at him.

"You cannot be serious."

"I am very serious. So serious that I did the test twice. I estimate that you are only a few weeks but yes, you are very much pregnant."

I don't think that this situation could get any worse. Not only had I bedded the enemy but I was now pregnant to him as well. This was not good.

I wasn't concerned that I was pregnant, that didn't bother me at all. No, my concern was who I was pregnant to. That was one giant issue in this nightmare.

"Is there a problem, your highness?"

"No, it's fine. Just a shock, that's all."

"Your feeding habits will need to be more covert now. At least until the issues are over."

"Yeah," I murmured.

Glancing at the clock, I realized that it was already eleven pm. Time was disappearing and I wasn't even ready.

"If you will excuse me, I have a meeting to prepare for."

"Of course, and your highness?"

I turned back from the door to look at Hank.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks."

I think.

My path back to my quarters was quiet. I dressed without my lady in waiting, she was one of the unnecessary staff. For their safety, they were sent away but right about now, I was regretting sending her away so soon.

The dress was antiquated and heavy, made worse by the fact that I got itchy in everything that I put on. It was ridiculous but I had to be perceived in a certain way. Otherwise, they'd think that they could stomp all over me and this province.

I hoped that Oliver would keep Alaric grounded in the talks. My aim was for a peaceful negotiation that ended in them walking away and me keeping this province.

Hearing a knock on the door, I jumped.

"Your Highness, they have arrived," Asa called out.

Lifting the crown onto my head, I stood and walked out of my dressing room. Asa smiled at me.

"You're looking better tonight. Did Hank have anything to say about your illness?"

Yeah, he sure did.

"I think the results of his tests will take a few months yet." I murmured. "In the meantime, let's kick some royal ass."

The guards stood by the doors, watching the guests and their two guards. I was surprised that they'd accepted the terms of entry.

As I descended the stairs, the guards shifted, saluting as I approached. I'd already caught Alaric's gaze, he watched with what could only be described as shock.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"You dare address Her Highness in such a way?" Asa hissed.

The man behind Alaric turned. He'd been looking at the large portrait of my parents until now. When his eyes caught mine, I was confused.

"Where's Oliver?"

"Paternity leave. Silas is tending to the duties of my advisor until Oliver returns."

Silas stared at me like he didn't believe what was in front of him.

"I am at a loss here," Alaric said.

"When you started consuming provinces, my father sent me away to protect me. I adopted a false name and a false life to ensure that his efforts were not wasted. He believed that you didn't understand what had happened, he said that the need for justice often blinds us to the truth. I wanted you to come here, not just so that you could see the lives that you want to bring down but so that I could tell you in person that my father did not have anything to do with your parent's death."

"And how would you know that?"

"Because I was his advisor at the time, it was against the protocols but my father didn't want anyone else so, Maelen agreed to my placement. When my father heard about the plot, he warned Maelen that he was being conspired against and he told him that this province and its leader would not have any part of it. Our fathers forged an agreement, Alaric. He was the one that helped your mother escape."

"I knew that I recognized you," Silas interjected. "You were there that night."

"What night?" Alaric asked.

"The night that your mother appeared on my doorstep."

I shrugged and turned to the study.

"I told you. The two kings formed an agreement, my father lived up to his side of it. He ensured that Thea was safe in your house, as agreed upon. This way, gentlemen."

In preparing for tonight, I hoped that everything went smoothly. A calm night of discussion rather than a war of words that turned ugly. I had one little thing that I needed to prove to Alaric that he had a friend in this province, not a foe.

Retrieving the document, I handed it to Alaric. He sat on the chair, I leaned on the desk and waited for him to go through what our fathers had written. Silas still stared at me.

"How's your mind?"

"Better, thank you."

"Is that a thank you for asking or a thank you for saving your dumb ass from Oasis?"

"Both." He murmured, suitably ashamed. "The trip back was,"

Glancing at Alaric, Silas huffed and returned to me.

"A moment, please?"

"Of course."

Asa watched on, unable to figure out why I'd happily walk away with the enemy's advisor. I could tell him but he'd probably freak out. Asa was a bit of a drama queen at the best of times.

In the anteroom that sat off the study, I quietly closed the door and turned to Silas.

"How come you never said anything?"

"I have spent years trying to hide from your nephew, Silas. Your army goes into a province and wipes out the royal family. When I risked my life walking into his estate, I firmly believed that he was only after the ridge. No one recognized me and I knew that I was safe. I accepted the request because I could see that your family was hurting. I didn't do it as some bargaining chip for later use, I did it to heal the wounds in a family that was already broken. When I heard of Alaric's return, I was happy that the rightful heir was back. You know that this province never attended the meetings, you know that we turned our back on them after what they did. I wanted things to be better, to grow our species and return us to the right path. That can't happen when Alaric is still hurting. I searched for you because I could see that he needs his family. Why do you think I was so determined to make you call them?"

I felt my stomach roll, I prayed that I could keep my last meal down.

"I liked Maelen and Thea. I got on well with them and it broke my heart to see Thea that night. You've got no idea what Maelen went through in his last days. Your life was nothing but a breeze, hidden in your mountain hideaway."

I raised my eyebrows defiantly, smug in my attitude.

"Imagine that, someone with power knew where you were and she knew that you were hiding two little secrets. Not once did this family betray you or your family. We stepped back from the meetings because we knew the truth. Maelen was murdered even after my father warned him to be careful, your sister died because people like him," I hissed pointing at the door. "Had delusions of grandeur. Your nephew is walking into people's lives and destroying them. He's tearing apart families, for what? Some stupid creature that he has no way of communicating with? You," I said, thumping my finger on his chest. "Will not destroy my family. We protected your family and now it's time for you to return the favor."

I was going to open the door but I paused, turning back to Silas.

"Do you know what hurts the most about this? You've walked into this place knowing that my father has just passed away. Not once did you offer any sympathy. When Maelen went missing, this family sent flowers. When Thea disappeared, we sent flowers again and quietly, we sent a care package to your doorstep. Do you remember getting that Silas? Do you remember a lot of baby goods at your front door? That was us if you were wondering."

Emotions got the better of me, much to my disgust. I was stronger than this, I didn't cave to such things but it would seem that things have now changed. Wiping the tears away, I took a deep breath and opened the door. Alaric's guards had remained at the doors to the entry. He was still sitting on the chair but the document was on the desk. Asa stood by the windows, watching the world go by.

"Do the right thing, Silas. Give gratitude to those who have only ever been a friend to your family. Don't destroy our world."

I turned to walk away, my hand was pulled back.

"Dahlia, I'm sorry. He's determined to take over everything. I won't be able to convince him."

I nodded and accepted that I had to do the one thing that I didn't want to do. She was making a comeback.