"I'm counting on you Yadira," Queen Thalassa said before she returned to the Kingdom of Camillo. Yadira met her Queen's eyes through the mirror, as she helped her dress for the upcoming travel. Her Queen was to attend the royal coronation of Albert Edward and Alexandria; however, an unexpected bout of appendicitis led to a postponement of the ceremonies and Queen Thalassa decided to return to her home country instead.

"Our King has chosen Emmet for his ambassador." The queen sneered.

"Emmet will do a good job representing Camillo, your majesty, he is quite likeable," Yadira replied.

"True he is charming," The Queen agreed as Yadira fixed her hair into a high bun. "But he doesn't have the spirit of a warrior."

Yadira bowed in understanding. As part of the Queen's secret guard, she was not only a trained fighter and assassin, but she trained in politics and seduction, skills that weren't much different from each other. Emmet didn't have any such training and the Queen worried that the boy's charm would not help him maneuver delicate political situations.

"Your majesty, I am grateful that you bestow this honor on me, however, I would feel better if I accompanied you."

"Of course, you would dear," The Queen said. "But the last time we were here, Queen Victoria took such a liking to you, so it is in her honor that I leave you, my best assassin." The Queen winked. Yadira bit the inside of her cheek, for that was what she was afraid of.

"I'm counting on you, Yadira." Queen Victoria had said during their last visit. The English Queen was intrigued by the women warriors of Camillo. She asked Yadira to perform a task that no Queen in her right mind would ask; that no mother would ask.

"Yadira, did you hear me?" Emmet asked bringing her forth from her memories.

"Sorry, Emmet." She smiled. They sat in the seats meant for their King and Queen, waiting for the Coronation to begin. "What were you saying?"

"Only that I'm counting on you, Yadira." Emmet smiled making her heart skip a beat. Not only was he charming but he was easy to look at, with dark hair, perfect teeth behind a pretty smile and a chiseled face. In fact, he was too easy to look at. As the Queen's personal guard, she was taught in the ways of seduction. She was taught to never let emotion rule her. But somehow after spending the last several weeks with Emmet her teachings failed her.

"And why is that?" Yadira questioned keeping her voice low as not to be overheard by prying ears.

Emmet leaned in to hear her. He smelled so good. He pointed towards the group of maharajahs. "I need you to help me with all this political stuff."

"What do you think I've been doing the past week?" She winked just as the procession started.

Next Day

"I'm counting on you, Yadira!" The voice woke her from her sleep. Yadira sat up in the bed bringing her knees to her chest and resting her forehead on them. It was too much pressure. For the first time, she didn't know what the right course of action was. When Queen Victoria made her request, Yadira dismissed it as a woman who was losing her mind as she was finding death.

Then Queen Thalassa intimated that she wanted Yadira to follow through with Victoria's orders. Victoria feared for her country in the hands of her worthless and irresponsible son. Victoria called him a wicked womanizer and thought that while Alexandria coddled him too much, Edward's son, George, would be a better ruler.

Now a ghost was coming to her in her sleep. "I'm counting on you, Yadira." The ghost of Charles Mordaunt came to her. "Do as the Queen asked and kill him."

"Why?" She whispered a cold breath.

"I came home early from a fishing trip and he was there with my wife, Harriet."

"I heard this story," Yadira said. "You killed her horses."

"Damn right I killed those horses." The ghostly voice proclaimed. "I don't regret that. Then my wife had a baby, a girl." He spat out the word girl. The ghost clearly didn't hold women in high esteem. "Blind." He added.

"Your daughter is not blind," Yadira told the ghost.

"No thanks to my cheating wife," Charles said. "Or Edward."

Yadira sighed, she had heard the stories and felt sorry for Charles Mordaunt, but after meeting his ghost she wondered if her sympathies would have better been spent on Harriet.

She had several chances to get Edward alone since the original coronation was postponed. She became friendly with the Marlborough set. She studied Edward's mistress, Alice Keppel, and adopted her style. She even adopted the other woman's signature scent. However, every time she thought about seducing then assassinating the King, another thought entered her mind.

Emmet shouldn't have been in her thoughts or her heart.

She jumped out of bed and sat in front of the mirror. "They are all counting on you, Yadira." Today was her last chance to complete the mission, for her and Emmet were scheduled to return home tomorrow morning. She picked up a lipstick, the same shade Alice wore, and began to apply it when she heard a knock on the door.

She opened the hotel door and found a smiling Emmet standing on the other side. "How would you like to go home a day early?" Emmet asked. "I know you don't like being away from the Queen."

"I can't!" Yadira said. "They are all counting on me."

"I know," Emmet said walking into the room and closing the door gently behind him. He cupped Yadira's face softly.

"But I think you should count on yourself to know the right course of action." He said.

Yadira nodded. "I think we ought to go home."

Emmet pulled her in for a hug. "I knew I could count on you."