Dearest Reader,

I came to Belcourt after my father killed my mother, and then himself. I went through what you went through and experienced the joy of being loved. Of family.

My Courting Ceremony went as I expected. I was courted into the Court of my dreams.

I became a Librarian. A researcher.

But one day they whisked me into the Court of Flowers. I did not understand it then. I feared going back outside Belcourt, back into the world I escaped from. Yet I had to because Belcourt said so. And Belcourt is law.

And then I met him. The man who would change my life. The man who ruined me; made me betray the very home I held so dear. The man who loved me. Loves me.

This is my story. But this is also yours.

I will tell you about my journey. I will tell you why I did the things I did. Why I'm fighting for all of you from outside. Why I'm bringing back the rightful king of Sutherland.

I will give you reasons to question, because you have every right to ask.

Are you truly alone? Do you truly have no one outside?

Is no one looking for you?

What if someone wants you?

I will not have the answers, my dear Ladies of Belcourt, but I will tell you the truth.

I will tell you about the Vandenbergs, the true rulers of Belcourt. The people behind the walls that keep you away from the rest.

And I hope that by the end of these letters, you will learn, as I did, why Belcourt lies.

-The Fainting Belle

Arielle fed the paper to the fire and watched its form turn to ash.

Behind her stood the other Maidens, all of them wrapped in their purple cloaks.

"Someone is helping Sasha start a revolution," she said, face trembling with contained rage. "Her previous Servants?"

"No suspicious activity, Your Highness. Their current Belle claims they have been nowhere near Belcourt, nor have they traveled out of Dockerly where the Belle is currently posted."

Arielle's lips pursed. "Then have them shadowed. Inform their Belle that her mission is to spy on her own Servants."

"At once, Your Highness," said Asa.

"Save for the Librarians and the orphans, almost everyone has access outside Belcourt. I want them investigated."

"Right away, Your Highness," said one Maiden. "I also have another news. Venus has gone to Herst."

"Stupid girl," Arielle murmured under her breath. "How many Soldiers do we have in Herst?"

"A dozen."

"Royals?"

"We cannot say for certain, Your Highness."

"Then send more Soldiers. And make sure Venus does nothing stupid." She turned around and faced the fire again. "I want all copies of this article gathered. Everyone caught with a copy shall be sent straight to the dungeon and interrogated."

*****

Leila had trouble going back to the cabin for multiple reasons. One, because of the recent trouble with Camila and Jamie, the servants were on constant alert whenever the children walked through any door of the manor. Two, Mason seemed to have grown attached to her for some odd reason, and the child would not leave her alone. Three, Camila and Jamie decided they were now friends with her, thus they should spend more time together.

But one night, after a long day out in the nearest village, everyone was tired. Even Camila fell asleep in her room before she could drag herself into Leila's bed to sleep with her.

She slipped out of the manor without a sound. The night breeze was chilly but tolerable now that the storm had passed. The forest was dark, with only the moonlight to guide her.

But she knew the trail now, and the journey to the cabin was uneventful.

She stayed behind the tree, staring. Waiting.

She wondered if she could come around and peek inside, see the men hiding there. The candlelight told her someone was awake.

And apparently, someone was also outside, watching, because from behind her, a man's voice spoke, "What are you doing here, child?"

*****

Robert Dior sat in his chair with great ease, as if he was not responsible for her abduction. His hands were clasped before him, watching her pace around the room.

She was no longer bound, but she was still a prisoner. They provided her with good food, a bath whenever she desired it, and books when she demanded it. The bedchamber was large, but the doors remained locked.

"Do you truly think that I will forgive you for doing this?" Esther finally spoke.

"No, of course not, Your Highness," he said with a smile, his dark eyes following her as she approached. "But I know you will eventually concede."

"Concede to what?"

"Our plans."

"And what is that? Kicking my father out of his throne?"

"No, of course not. Dethroning your sister."

She stiffened. "Arielle?"

"Do you have another bastard sister somewhere?"

"Dethrone her?"

"We believe she is currently ruling Belcourt. Taking you here is keeping you safe."

"No, taking me here is tying my father's hands!" she hissed. "I know Emory had a hand on this, that bloody fool!"

"Your brother is a wise man."

"He will end Sutherland. He knows nothing!"

"Is that so?"

"I am the one who saved us all from Albert and his stupid plans. Emory was ignorant. He had always been. You sided with the wrong man."

He nodded slowly, but she could tell he was not taking her seriously.

"Once my mother gets her hands on you, Robert Dior, you and your family will lose everything—"

"Your mother," he said, tilting his head to the side, "told you everything, did she not? She told you everything about Albert."

Esther scoffed, stepping back with a sneer. "You do not know what the queen is capable of."

Dior smiled, one that dragged at her own, melting it into uncertainty, telling Esther she was not facing an ignorant fool. "I know enough to say that it is the queen we should all be wary of, Your Highness. And Prince Emory is very much aware of that as well. That is why you are here."

Her nostrils flared, her hands balled, refusing to discuss her mother. These people knew about the queen. This is bad, she thought. Then she swallowed the panic. Does Emory know?

"Now, if you do exactly what your brother wants, you might enjoy this... heavenly prison."

"And what does Emory want?"

"That you behave, of course. While we try to deal with Belcourt. Can you do that?"

*****

Robert entered the drawing room and found Leo laughing while Ellise frowned at him with bafflement.

"Good Lord, do you not see what I mean?" Leo asked Ellise.

"I do," she replied.

"Then why do you look baffled?" Leo asked, laughter bubbling through his lips. "It is quite funny."

"I do not find it funny at all, Leo," she replied, leaning against her seat.

Robert walked closer and was about to take a seat beside Ellise when Leo suddenly jumped and stole it from him, twisting in the chaise to face Ellise, who leaned back to frown at the prince. "There was a man, yes?"

"You already told me the story twice," she said. "Why are you repeating yourself?"

"Because you do not get the humor behind it!" He turned to Robert, who took the seat by the fire. "Perhaps Dior will appreciate—"

"Is this the story of the blind man who found you foxed on the side of the road in the Americas?" Robert asked, brows arched.

"Yes!" Leo replied, chuckling, blue eyes glimmering with mirth.

Robert nodded. "We are leaving first thing on the morrow," he said instead, completely brushing off the irrelevant subject. "The princess seems well. However, she is not willing to cooperate. She vows to make your life hell while she is here as your prisoner."

Leo looked at him, then at Ellise, face crumpling with incredulity. "You mean your prisoner, considering this is your family's estate." When none replied, he sighed. "Did you even try to charm her?" he asked.

"She is not the type who can be charmed," Robert said.

"She is the type who needs a dagger against her throat," Ellise added.

Leo blinked at them. "If you will allow me, I can very well make her do whatever we want," he said with confidence, spreading his arms on the back of the chaise, causing Ellise to stand and announce, "I wish to rest."

"Will you join us for dinner?"

"No, but I would like one," she replied, walking out of the drawing room without a backward glance, the tail of her bound hair swaying in the air.

Leo frowned. "She wants her food delivered to her chamber," Robert explained.

"She does not like anyone, does she?"

"No. On the contrary, she can like anyone." Robert smiled. "The difference is that it's not just anyone."

"Even Sasha liked me," Leo said with a shake of his head.

"Sasha tolerated you."

"You dare cross the future king of Sutherland?"

Robert sighed and stood. "I would also like to enjoy a glass of brandy with you, Your Highness."

When he returned with a glass for each of them, Leo's face had turned serious. "Taking the princess may only make things difficult for the Circus, Dior," he said.

"That is why we are traveling straight to Dockerly. It is about time."

Leo sipped from his glass. "Once my father gets here, he would want to rule the Circus. Are you prepared for that?"

"If that is what he wishes."

"He might be senile," Leo said. "You must agree that he is too old for this."

"Even death cannot stop the greedy, Your Highness. Even your father."

Leo scoffed. "It's what keeps him alive, to be honest. He may even outlive me if he thinks I'm a threat to his throne."

"I'm certain he will want no other heir." When Leo did not reply, simply swirled his drink in his hand. Robert frowned, realizing something. "You do not want it."

"This is a rather excellent brandy. I like it," Leo replied with a quick smile.

Later, after spending dinner with the man, Dior slipped inside Ellise's bedchamber and found her reading, her finished meal sitting on the table in front of her.

He stripped off his coat, deep in thought.

She closed her book and placed it on the table. "What is it?"

"Leo," he said, unbuttoning his dress shirt. "He does not wish to be king."

Ellise shrugged. "More reason for Reginald to stay alive."

"You are not bothered?"

"I should, but I am not at the moment," she said. "We have other priorities."

"But once we are done, once we ensure Napoleon doesn't step unto Sutherland soil, and once Belcourt is free, it will matter who sits in the throne."

"Otherwise we will all die?"

"Yes. All Royals will die."

"That is why we have secured the allegiance of the crown prince, Dior. Should we fail to put Reginald in power, we have someone in the kingdom to save our pathetic lives."

He approached her with a smile. "Pathetic?"

"We all are. All humans are. Would you not agree?"

He kissed her before taking the seat next to her. "Then who would you consider not pathetic?"

"Everything else not human."

"For someone who hates humans, you surely do well enough to save them."

"Because children are not yet humans," she replied.

Robert smiled and reached for her hand. "Are you done with your meal?"

She nodded.

Without a word, he stood and led her to the bed.

*****

Fatima's dirty blond hair was moist with sweat, sticking to her wide forehead. Her brows fused, her eyes flickering to all corners of the Tea House. "There are three Servants currently in the dungeon being interrogated," she said under her breath before she tried to nonchalantly sip from her cup. "Carrie is one of them," she added, voice choking.

Ruby reached out and squeezed her hand. "We have foreseen this, Fatima."

"Yes, I know. Carrie is a strong woman. I know she wanted this. But I still worry."

Ruby could not offer more comfort, not when they were inside Belcourt. She would understand if Fatima and the others would stop working with her, but the lady's next words astounded her. "When is the next article coming? I have thought of a better way to spread it. We'll insert them in the cloaks—in the laundry room, before we deliver them to their respective Courts."

Ruby smiled, her chest swelling. She had good allies. She simply hoped she could protect them when trouble befall them.

Much later, Ruby was back in the Flower Garden, laughing with Summer as the woman told her about her new flower, how the man almost fainted when he met her.

"He was shaking. Profusely sweating, too, I might add," Summer was saying as Jade entered the room, clad in a beautiful blue dress. The pin on her left breast with a rose carved into it glinted as she walked.

"Ruby, if you please," she said, giving the entire drawing room a sweeping smile before she left.

Ruby winked at Summer, her smile disappearing as she stepped out into the corridor, where Jade was already waiting. Her old friend hooked an arm around her and said, "Walk with me to the garden."

The sun was friendly that afternoon, a bit too hot for Ruby's preference, but Jade, whatever she felt about the sun, was not saying anything.

She remembered the many days when there was just her and Jade, them together in Coulway, two new Belles excited to navigate a new world they had not been a part of for most of their lives, all the while happy to serve Belcourt in the way they knew how. They enjoyed many moments together and with other Belles, but in most of them, Ruby always found herself tired. Perhaps maybe she had always been pretending.

That she was happy.

That life was beautiful as a Belle.

That she was free.

"How is Aaron these days?" Jade asked, arm still hooked around Ruby's.

Ruby looked down at the red-haired woman stitched to her side. She knew what Jade had done, what the woman was capable of. She betrayed Belcourt, yet she was still here—a Mistress. And like many of them, Jade was once more being manipulated.

"He is perfectly fine, as always," she said with a chuckle. "I accompanied him yesterday on a trip down the countryside. His father has been urging him to find a wife."

"Ah, poor Aaron. But we told him many times he will eventually have to find one. It is about time. They need heirs."

Ruby nodded. "He does not wish to end our friendship even after his marriage."

"Of course. You are his best friend, after all."

They fell silent again, their footsteps slow, the sun growing a little more uncomfortable. Then, Jade finally told her why they were pretending to be two happy friends taking a walk around the lush garden. "The High Priestess wants to find the person behind the articles in the Sutherland Post."

Ruby frowned. "The one who writes about Belcourt?"

"Yes." Jade stopped and unhooked her arm from Ruby's, took a step back, the smile on her face now gone. "They believe the person behind it is also responsible for the papers that circulated around Belcourt."

Ruby's jaw tightened. "You mean the articles that claim to be from Sasha?"

"Ruby, we know they were from Sasha. As the previous Mistress, she had access to more Belcourt ladies. It would not be surprising if she bewitched some of them."

"But I heard you already gathered some ladies, interrogated them. Had none spoken?"

Jade shook her head. "They all claim the same thing. That they found the articles on the floor, slipped under their doors. We cannot punish them for crimes we cannot prove. They are to be set free, but will still be watched. Just in case, of course."

Ruby nodded. "Sasha's old Servants?"

Jade shook her head. "Her former Servants are in Dockerly in their new posts. They were posted there before we caught Sasha and had not left the island since then. But their Belle is currently watching them."

"I do not know, Jade. This is—"

"You are the only one I can trust, Ruby. I know how good you are."

"This is the Sutherland Post we are talking about."

"And you were the Belle of the previous owner."

She shivered at the memory of Willoghby.

"Surely, you know his inner circle—the people he trusted. Those people must know who the current owner is."

Ruby sighed. "Very well, I shall try my best."

"Delaney is working on the crown prince, but we doubt she is getting any closer. Emory is quite a difficult man. Elusive, even."

Ruby chuckled, reached out to take Jade's hand. "Fret not, Jade. I believe I'm the more experienced Belle. I will learn who is behind the Sutherland Post with little help."

Jade grinned. "I never questioned your capabilities, Ruby." Then the lady looped her arm around hers again. "Now, should we go back inside? I hate the sunlight."

*****

Sasha ignored her husband's deep sighs beside her. She threw him a sideway glance and instantly looked away.

He was not terribly pleased that she went behind his back. And he was not looking thoroughly at ease either as they walked behind Reginald, the fallen monarch slow in his steps.

"Once we take him out of that room, and the moment you walk out of there alive, I will chain you to our bed," her husband grumbled under his breath. "I swear, darling, I will do just that."

He had said it four times now, and each time he did, Sasha sensed that the threat may be true. "This will be the last time I will keep something from you," she promised.

"It is not that you kept something from me, Sasha," he said, hand resting firmly at the small of her back. "You deliberately placed yourself in danger."

"I knew Gabrielle would not hurt me."

"You are carrying our child."

She felt his fear, and she did not blame him for it. She also understood his lack of trust in any Belcourt Soldier. Perhaps she took an enormous risk, but they would not be here now without it.

Reginald's men were at the other end of the corridor, watching. Rider and Greene were somewhere in the ship as well, watchful as always because they did not know where the other Soldier was.

Finally, Reginald reached the door and stopped. Sasha moved forward, but was stopped by West. "I do not like this," he murmured, ignoring Reginald's impatient look.

Sasha smiled and kissed his chin. "We shall be back."

He reluctantly let her go, his eyes still angry and disappointed. But they had both endured more than this before. He had to let her go multiple times in the past.

"Go before I stop you," he said, planting a chaste kiss on her forehead.

She joined Reginald at the door. The old man grumbled something about bloody husbands before he reached for reached out and pushed the door open.

Already inside was Gabrielle, sword in hand.

"At the very least, it's not a pistol," Reginald murmured to Sasha before taking a step inside. He stopped, a mere three steps away from Gabrielle and her weapon, his eyes steady, hard mouth breaking into a soft smile. "Good evening Gabrielle."

The red-haired Soldier ignored him, eyes darting to Sasha who stood at one corner. Gabrielle scoffed, looking back at Reginald, eyes unreadable. "If you think you can persuade a Belcourt Soldier into something, you are wrong. I am here to kill you."

"I know, child. You are not the first to try," Reginald said, chuckling as he reached for a chair. "But I'm not here to talk to a Soldier or whatever you call yourselves."

Gabrielle, if she was curious, did not voice it. She remained where she stood, in her dress shirt and breeches, her hair tied up; she was ready for battle.

Reginald let out a sigh of relief as he sat, as if the walk from his cabin to here had been a pain. He took his time, shifting in the chair until he found the perfect position. Then he looked up at Gabrielle. "I'm here to meet a Vandenberg." Gabrielle's face hardened, and Reginald smiled at her knowingly. "That branch of your family has always been very naughty, child. Very naughty, indeed."