The sunroom was dark, with just the faint moonlight slipping between the drapes surrounding them. In a few hours, they would be drawn to the side and the entire room would glow in warm sunlight. Tonight, however, there were just shadows and fire.

Theodora Vandenberg looked as imperial as anyone who had the power to sink a ship. Ellise smiled at her from where she sat, her leg crossed over the other, a line of moonlight cutting diagonally across her form. Dior was outside the door, face to face with the woman's servant.

"How did you know?" Theodora Vandenberg asked, her blue eyes fixed on hers, unmoving, unrelenting.

"When you burn something, you leave ashes," Ellise replied, the corner of her lips quirking before she added, "Or in your case—what you drown eventually floats."

The wrinkles around Theodora's mouth deepened as her lips pursed in what could be a hidden smile or hate. Or regret for being caught.

"As I said, Albert's daughter is with us. The child he bore with his mistress. The same child you all sank a ship for to steal. In her place reigns the king's bastard."

"Arielle is loyal to Albert's cause. I see no reason for alarm."

"Are you certain? I do not see the confidence. Are you aware Albert wanted to side with Napoleon? Under Arielle's rule, Belcourt is now working behind her father's back so Napoleon could be king."

Theodora's face hardened, fulgid antipathy in her eyes.

Ellise shifted in her seat, wanting to get this over with. "If the king is dethroned, so will the queen, your sister." She could almost see the woman's thoughts. Theodora, like others in her family, was chosen to grow up in Belcourt. She became Mistress of the Court of Arms to protect the High Priestess, while her sister became queen.

"Do you wonder?" she asked. "That if you stayed as Mistress, you could have kept an eye on Albert? Could have stopped his crazy ideas? He was mad—we know that now. That's why the queen had to kill him. Through your niece, Esther, of course." Ellise smiled. "She would have been a better High Priestess. But that may not be possible now. We also have her." Theodor's brow twitched, and Ellise's smile widened. "Gabrielle is also on a ship with Reginald and our Royal Master. I wonder how that will go for your brave Vandenberg niece?"

"If you think Helena does not have a plan, then you underestimate the queen," Theodora mockingly said.

"Well, whatever she is doing, it must be quite limited. The Circus has also struck a deal with Emory, who willingly gave us his sister."

Theodora's shoulders shook as a low chuckle rolled out of her. "It seems you also underestimated Emory."

"Mayhap. But it does not erase the fact that Belcourt is without a Vandenberg. And soon, Napoleon's army will dock in Sutherland soil. Your royal family will soon vanish." Ellise held Theodora's gaze. "Arielle will get rid of the High Priestess. Do you think she will not come after you?" She leaned back, enjoying the conflicted look on Theodora's face. Then she looked around and sighed. "Now, would you like our help, or would you rather sit in this place surrounded by Soldiers who could very well turn on you after one order from their new Priestess?"

*****

Sasha stared blankly at the wall from across the bed, absently caressing her womb.

"And she simply left?" her husband asked, buttoning his shirt.

"Did you expect her to gather her swords and transfer to our cabin?" she asked.

He rolled his eyes and climbed into bed. With a sigh, he turned to her. "Do you truly think she would side with us?"

"I do not know, West." She looked at him. "Did you think I would side with you?"

"No."

Having made her point, she smiled. "We planted a seed, that is all."

"Ah, you and your bloody planting," he said, grunting as he slid lower in bed. She joined him, lying on her side. He turned to face her and his warm hand settled on the bump between them. "We have been doing naught but planting seeds, darling."

She snorted and slapped his arm.

"No, I am serious," he said. "If your plans with Ellise are going as planned, then we have too many bloody seeds all over the kingdom. How do we know they do not grow as weeds and kill our fruits?"

"I knew you would be impatient. All of you." She kissed his jaw. "The harvest will come, darling. And it shall be in our favor."

*****

Arielle's hand was shaking as she read the paper. Her jaw was tight, so was the knot in her midriff.

My greatest downfall was when I fell in love with a man who wanted to destroy Belcourt. But they are not as what Belcourt paints them to be. The Royal Circus fights for what was stolen from Sutherland.

We are ladies who were trained to be great, but outside, they see us as naught but whores. To them, we are all the same. The previous King Reginald is not how he is painted to be, as you are not what you are painted outside Belcourt.

Reginald tried to help us once. He tried to save us from the Vandenbergs, the true rulers of Sutherland and Belcourt...

She knew the Maidens were looking at her with concern. And she was aware that they were divided. And if she could not control this, if she did not find whoever was responsible for these articles, she would see a divided Belcourt.

And she could not allow that.

This was her home.

She would see it burn before she could see it crumble.

She looked up and eyed one Maiden. "Execute another raid in all Courts. Whoever has a copy of these articles shall be poisoned until they start talking."

"But Your Highness, we already have too many women in the dungeon."

"Then make room for more," she said, crumpling the paper. "I do not see why we still do not have the culprit."

"The Soldiers and the Belles are investigating, Your Highness."

"And who is investigating them?" she asked. The Maidens looked dumbfounded. "If you think that a mere Soldier or Belle cannot be a traitor, be reminded that Sasha was a bloody Mistress herself."

"We shall conduct an immediate investigation."

"Start with Jade. Then start with the people she trusts." She smiled at Asa, who was looking at her with a frown. "What is the matter, Asa? Do not tell me you can trust someone who once connived with someone outside Belcourt. Jade is only here because she is useful until she is not."

The Maiden bowed her head and murmured an apology.

"You are the only people I can trust at the moment," she told the seven ladies before her, all of them clad in velvet cloak. "Please do not give me reasons to question your loyalty, too."

*****

Leila looked on at the edge of the woods, absently digging into the sand. Behind her, Camila and Jamie were planning the garden of their future home. At the moment, they bickered about the flowers: of which one would grow with another, or which one would die if planted amongst others.

In front of her, Mason was bent over a bucket, lifting it with both hands. He was shirtless, his skin sprinkled with sand that sparkled against the sun. His shoulders sagged when the contents of the bucket crumbled.

"It does not have enough water," she told him, frowning at his failure.

The boy looked up at her, the wet part of his hair dark, the dry ones golden. His blue eyes squinted at her, then blinked, pleading.

Leila rolled her eyes and sighed. She grabbed the bucket from him and stood on her bare feet. She walked near the water, her heart pounding. She had never gone near it alone.

Mason ran after her and asked, "Are you afraid?"

"No," she snapped. Putting the bucket down. "Go fetch the water."

He picked up the bucket and smiled. "Ellise taught me to swim."

"I know. You told me many times."

He ignored her and walked away, his small body too frail against the waves. He did not go far. She watched him catch the approaching wave into the bucket, stood and walked back to her.

"That is not enough," she told him, grabbing the bucket. She walked into the water. He walked with her. "I don't need help."

"It is all right," he said. "You won't drown. No sharks here."

Leila rolled her eyes again, bent down, and filled the bucket with water. When they returned to where they came from, she poured the contents over Mason's mound of sand. He said thank you and returned to work.

Her eyes veered back to the woods, her thoughts drifting back to the man and the cabin. He had told her she could come back, but she would have to be careful. He could not be seen.

The man could be playing with her, but she needed to know how much of a threat he was.

"Where is your Mama?" Mason asked her.

"Dead," she said, turning to face him. "Are you a bastard?"

He frowned at her. "Ollie said that is not a good word."

She shrugged. "Bastards are humans, too."

"I am not a bastard," Mason murmured.

"Then is your Mama dead?"

"No. I'm waiting for her."

"Where is she?"

Mason looked up at her. "I do not know."

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you lying?"

He shook his head.

"Then why are you here?"

"Because Ali promised Mama." He grinned. "You can join us if she comes back. She can be your Mama, too."

"Mason, come here," said Camila. "What do you think of this garden? Would a child your age enjoy this one?"

Mason immediately stood and ran to join Camila and Jamie. Leila's eyes followed the child, thoughtful.

*****

Gabrielle was frowning at the ocean. Nora, the other Soldier, stole her a look.

"Where did you go last night?" Nora asked.

"Reginald talked to me."

The surprise in Nora's brown eyes was apparent, but the woman remained motionless beside her. They both knew they were being watched. "Why?"

"He wanted to talk."

"About what?"

"My family."

"You have no family."

Her jaw tightened, and she remained quiet.

"That is how they manipulate us," Nora said under her breath. "They will attempt to give us what we yearn for. They know what we want most and they will do whatever it takes to use it against us. What did they tell you? That your family is looking for you?"

"Yes," she lied.

"What else did you discuss?" Nora asked, voice suspicious. The woman was not stupid. She was not only one of the best archers in the Palace, she was also one of the most trusted Soldiers. Nora could read anyone like a bloody map. She enjoyed doing it. She would come up with strategies for both herself and the enemies simply because she found it fun.

"I almost killed him," Gabrielle said instead. "The tip of my blade was against his pulse."

"Then why did you not?"

"Because we have orders," she said, looking to the side. From the end of the deck, she could see Rider Fairborne idly standing by with his friend. He no longer bothered to hide, too confident.

Nora saw where her gaze went and murmured, "A few more weeks, Gabrielle. My mind is also being tested during this trip, but we are better than them. We have a plan and we adhere to it."

She looked at Nora. Her fellow Soldier was younger than her, Courted two years after her. Nora would have done well as a Belle, but she always claimed that her beautiful chocolate brown skin and golden-brown eyes were not weapons she preferred to use.

Gabrielle wondered how much the woman knew. Was she pretending ignorance now? Did she know about Gabrielle's family? Her brother? About her parents?

Her eyes swerved back to Rider Fairborne, and this time, she knew he was looking at her. How much did he know? How many people knew of her ignorance?

She looked away and stared at the ocean, the horizon. For too long, she had been looking at the same line. It was there before the day broke, and would be there as the sun returned. She was sick of it. It was like a wall. She could travel all her life and she would never get near it. It was suffocating, the thought of it being there, always there.

Gabrielle turned, aware that Rider Fairborne's gaze was on her, as well as Nora's.

A few more weeks. She had a few more weeks to make up her mind.