Sasha paced around the tiny room, hands on her hips.

"What bothers you?"

She stopped and looked at her husband with the slightest frown. "Are you telling me you are just sitting there feeling nothing?"

He had the audacity to shrug and lean against the back of the chair. "I do have my worries. And I do have faith in Darcy."

Sasha slowly shook her head. "As do I, Your Grace, but I also know what Belcourt is capable of."

He stood and walked toward her, held her shoulders. "We are also with other women from Belcourt. And they all have more powerful reasons to fight against Arielle. The children."

"I know, but the Soldiers—"

"Sasha," he said in a stern voice that was laced with patience and a little bit of amusement.

"What?" she snapped.

"You're not used to not being in control."

"We are trapped inside the Village, West. Certainly, I'm uncomfortable."

"I understand that you'd rather be out there making plans as Darcy."

"I don't mean to say Ellise is not capable. I only—" She stopped, sighing with resignation. "I hate being powerless. I don't like to wait and see where this leads us. I'm no longer that woman."

West cupped her face with a smile. "Doing nothing does not strip you of your power. It takes more courage to do so." He pulled her gently into his arms. Against her temple, he murmured, "We've done enough, darling; sacrificed enough, done the best we could. It's time to wait and see if we've done it right."

Leaning her forehead on his chest, she murmured, "I'm starting to hate this type of war."

He chuckled. "Not enough blood?"

She nodded. "It's so..."

"Silent."

She sighed, then groaned.

"The Royal Circus was preparing for a physical fight, darling. Until you Belcourt ladies came in and forced us to use our brains instead."

Silence fell between them.

"I miss our son," Sasha later murmured.

"As do I."

She swallowed. "We'll wait."

She felt him nod. "For now."

Sasha pushed away and nodded. Then she turned to the door. "We have to feed the children."

They did not have to wait long, they later realized, as they headed out. Trent and Tanner were running toward them.

"Men just entered the Palace."

"Royals?" West asked.

"We do not think so," Tanner said, jaw tight.

"They rode straight to the Palace," Trent added.

Sasha frowned at them. "Who were they?"

"Members of the House of Lords," said Tanner. "Reginald is with them."

Sasha and West rushed to the gates. Delaney, Aliya's sister, met them and said, "Take the children to safety." She was holding her sword. Others were climbing up the ladder, settling on a makeshift platform that overlooked the walls of the Village, their bows and arrows at the ready.

"Royal Guards," informed Delaney as West climbed up the ladder to see. "Their riding toward the Village now." As she turned away, Sasha saw the look of contempt on her face. They had trusted Sasha and the others that help would come. But now, it seemed not to be the case.

*****

Arielle's heart was like a series of thunder in her chest. She was confident in her decision because it was rational. So, for a split second, she was reassured. But only for a moment. Because as Reginald sashayed into the room, a potent awareness that this could, after all, be a trap.

But before she could even let herself justify her actions, or why she fell for Reginald's trick, relief came over her again. The men behind him were men she was familiar with. She sat around the table with them too many times before, planning for a new Sutherland. They were the same men people outside Belcourt respected and feared. Men in seats of power simply because they were born with the noble blood of their ancestors. Men who wanted more power than the king.

She allowed a smile, her heart resting in a quiet storm as she sat on her throne in the Palace.

"As promised," said Reginald, stepping forward, hands stretched to his sides while more people filed into the chamber. Indeed, as he promised, he gathered the members of the House of Lords.

Her smile widened. But the cautious part of her was thinking of a way out. She had planned everything with Lady Eastwell. Soldiers were hiding in all corners of the Palace, the other French soldiers Tremblay left behind were still alive. Contrary to what Reginald suggested, Arielle was not willing to let go of every card. Why would she kill the French if she could still use them?

"Are you still in disbelief that I took the House of Lords here?" Reginald asked.

"No," Arielle said. "I'm simply astounded that they allowed you. Without guards, and helpless inside Belcourt." Some men behind Reginald snapped their heads around, as if expecting a line of Soldiers pulling their bows at the ready to shoot. "But I appreciate that you trust Belcourt enough."

Reginald shrugged to look at the men behind him. Turning to her again, he said, "The things we all do for power, am I correct, child?" he asked.

"Of course," she said, smiling even more boldly. "Have you dealt with the Royal Circus? I would like to know how you did it. Beheaded them? Trapped and burned them alive?" She scoffed when the other men stiffened at her words.

Reginald slowly nodded and looked around the great chamber, genuinely curious. "Tell me, child. How many people have you killed?"

Arielle blinked in surprise.

Reginald looked up at her again. He may be standing low, with her on her throne, but his gaze was strong. He was made to be king, Arielle thought. But she would never be one of his subjects.

"I reckon not many," Reginald said, still holding her gaze, the intensity of it showing her the number of dead bodies that he had slain before, the souls he stood on. "It was your brother Albert who was the crazier one." Then he smiled, stepping back again, hands behind him in a mocking mien of a humble servant. "I am not saying you are any less different, of course. Nor do I blame you for putting all your faith in him. I wonder how you felt when he did not name you to be the next High Priestess."

"There was already an Elected before he was murdered. I just simply paved my way."

"And for what price?"

"Not much, of course. As you've said, I have not killed that many."

"But you've done so many bad things, have you not?"

Her smile went cold. "I have done what's best for Belcourt. And if I have not done so, you would not all be here now."

"Of course," said Reginald, nodding, taking her eyes prisoner in his once more. "You have done so much, child, but I'm afraid that deep inside, you are still innocent and naïve."

Arielle was confused. Then doubt seeped in. She had replaced the guards in the gates. There could be no way that Reginald could do anything to her. Unless...

Her eyes flew to Lady Eastwell. The woman just stared at her, face free of emotions.

Reginald stepped aside, so did the men behind him. And through the opening they created sashayed the man Arielle would die to kill.

King Louis Frederick III Davercher.

His wrinkled deep sea blue eyes met hers with utter obscurity. The same indifference he would bestow upon peasants.

She flinched at the sight, her body suddenly cold and numb. Her chest contracted as fury ate at her lungs, depriving her of air. She knew Lady Eastwell was looking at her. The traitor.

No, this happened not because she was not capable. This happened because she was surrounded by cowards who would rather suffer in the old ways of Belcourt than fight for the future Albert and Arielle envisioned.

Louis did not utter a word. He simply looked at her, as if he could not yet decipher who she was and why she was doing this. But the younger man who stepped beside him was looking at her with a different look in his eyes. Emory was almost in awe.

"The House of Lords pledged their allegiance to their king," Reginald said, breaking the cold silence. "See, child, you don't have to kill your enemies. Sometimes, you just have to give them a price for their mistakes." He looked over his shoulder, smiling at the crowd of cowards. "Give them one last chance to save their families, their wealth, their power."

"I suppose you don't realize, Reginald," she said, voice shaking, "that the French are still in Belcourt. Still waiting to fight."

Reginald let out a mocking sigh. "The Royal Guards had intercepted two French ships and they're currently sinking in Sutherland waters. And, of course, we have General Tremblay." Someone dragged a bound Tremblay before Arielle. "The rest of his men are dead on a lonely road outside Coulway. I'm quite certain the others inside the Flower Garden are also being taken care of by your own Soldiers."

Arielle threw Lady Eastwell a glance before she laughed. "You all believe you tricked me, have you not?" She looked at Emory, then Louis, and settled back on Reginald. "What if I tell you I made other plans with the Royal Circus?"

"And if you did, you would have had a chance," Ellise St. Vincent said, appearing from the back of the crowd. "I gave you a way out."

Looking at the small smile that curled the woman's mouth, Arielle was certain there was never a way out for her. Ellise St. Vincent cornered her in the board game, enticed her to go to the one thing that offered her a better chance. "You ignorant fool," she spat at Ellise. "You side with these men, let them use you for their own game of power just like they would their women."

Ellise just smiled. "I may not be from Belcourt, darling, but I would appreciate if you don't call me a fool. I've been raised with free choice."

"It is time to surrender." The voice who spoke was one Arielle had only imagined for years. Louis stepped forward, looking up at her. "For the children and women of Belcourt, surrender."

Arielle let out a low chuckle as her eyes brimmed with tears. Hands shaking, she gripped the arms of her chair and turned to Lady Eastwell. "Kill everyone in sight!" she hissed.

But no one moved. Not one Soldier appeared to follow her orders. Lady Eastwell held her gaze and said, "Our duty is to protect the children of Belcourt. We fight if we can, but we also surrender if we must. This time, we do the latter."

"You coward!" she screamed, tears flying as she snapped her head toward the crowd of strangers before her. "Belcourt is mine. You cannot take it away from me."

"It still stands in Sutherland soil. It is bound by Sutherland law now more than ever. What you and Albert have done against the kingdom is unforgivable," Emory said, finally speaking.

"What Albert and I did was free Belcourt from the Vandenbergs!" She turned to Reginald. "The same people who took you out of power!"

Reginald nodded. "I understand. But I'm no fool to think you did it for me, child. How could I be king if you invited the French here?"

"And there could be more," she sneered, leaning forward. "Two ships are nothing to the number that already arrived. Tremblay is but one of the generals."

"Let us not fool ourselves, child. Do you know how many of his Grand Army survived after their retreat in Moscow? I reckon Napoleon would tell you he had no more to spare for a Sutherland invasion." Dropping his arms to his sides, Reginald sighed. "Give up, child. There is no future for Napoleon here. Face your crimes with grace."

"And how about you? All of you!" she shouted at the crowd. "The crimes you committed against the women and children? What of those crimes?"

"That is enough," Louis said. "You are not one to deliver justice."

"And you?" she asked with mocking laughter. "As king, what say you to your wife and her family? To the children you bore and made to suffer purely because they carried your pathetic blood?" He did not utter a word. He just looked at her. The silence that lingered was as resounding as the ones they gave to their victims. No justifications. Just utter cowardly silence.

A line of Soldiers marched into the grand chamber and joined Lady Eastwell. They were not here to fight. They were here to take her away.

Arielle scoffed, leaning back against her chair, eyes on Louis. "Do you even know who I am?"

And with the same indifferent look, he said, "No," although they both knew the truth.

Arielle felt sick. What did she expect from him? Recognition? Yet she laughed and said, "I'm your daughter. The one your wife took away from its mother. The same child they kept away because your name could not be tarnished. Helena kept me here all my life, along with other unwanted children. It is because of me that you held your throne. Because of me that your wife and her family continued to play you like a puppet. I'm that child whose nonexistence gave you what you have now."

"I only have one daughter."

His last glance was nothing special. He just blinked as she sat frozen in her seat, her entire universe crumbling underneath her in obliterating pain she never thought she would ever feel in the many times she imagined meeting him. She was not spared of it, after all. She was just like every child of Belcourt—despicably found wanting.

As the Soldiers approached her throne, Louis faced Arnaud Tremblay and said, "Sutherland will not welcome Napoleon."

And he left.

He found her and left.