WRITING DOWN her letter of command on a piece of parchment, Tori slid it inside the message holder. "Go," said Tori as she watched the white owl flew to the north.

"Your pet has been glaring at me since I came here, Tori." The wariness of Prince Yei Lin's voice made her glanced at her back. The crown prince of the Ming Country meant Tori's hawk which was situated on her favorite chair. Talia, the northern hawk, was standing still as if it was only a decoration of her temporary room. But if you would look closely, its eyes were moving. Prince Yei Lin was standing there for some time now. Raising her eyebrows, Tori faced him. "Have you secured the warden of the capital's prison cell?"

"Come on. Do you call that a task? That's easy, Tori." The grinning Prince Allistair mocked him as he sat lazily on the couch with a goblet of wine on his other hand. "Oh, before I forgot, my old man sent the royal messenger."

Tori petted Talia before sitting on the chair where it was also situated. "Good. The royal envoy from the Kingdom of Monakre will give us some leeway to buy some time."

The punishment of a royal family who committed treason would be made public wherein the king and the commoners would witness. Unlike the other punishment, Corean would face a gruesome death by the ax. The ax that the executioner would use would be a blunt one that would take the execution six to ten swings before severing the head. The criminal would not die immediately as he would feel his neck breaking. Just thinking about it made Tori's blood boil.

Prince Yei Lin interrupted her train of thought. "It will give us three days exactly."

Three days. Three days to prepare.

Tori served herself a tea before she fed Talia a peanut which the latter happily obliged. "Alice. Bring Marchioness Susana to me."

Prince Allistair who was lazing on her couch immediately stood up. "I'll be going now." He dashed outside her room. You are such a child, Alice.

"What a brat," said Yei Lin. "Duke Castaña's men surrounded his prison cell to keep him safe, but Prince Lauren's knights were able to sneak in."

Tori's eyes were blank as she listened to what Prince Yei Lin said. "Did they cut his tongue off?" Like they did to all the prisoners?

Tori was raging inside. She wanted to lash out, but couldn't. To win this, she must be smarter than Prince Cory. She needed to steel herself like how he steeled himself during those times that everyone hated him.

"No. Duke Castaña made it in time. Tori, what do you want now?"

What do I want? After what you told me, I also asked that myself. I buried myself with the misbelieved that no one will be able to protect me. But a strange prince proved me wrong. He defied my fate and took it as his own. So what do I want? "I want to continue his plan. I will usurp the throne."

"King Elphaim was the benefactor of the tribes that tried to conquer the Arin Tribe. With his obvious favor to Prince Lauren, we must expect an unfavorable judgment even if we present Tessa as a witness."

Prince Yei Lin sat in front of her so she served him tea. "So the trial will just be a farce."

"Indeed. Prince Lauren will expect that we brought the influence of the Monakre Kingdom to prepare for the noble trial. But, we are preparing for more. We will usurp the throne with the help of my vassals' influence."

"You know that as long as we are not king yet, I and Alice can't guarantee you our one hundred percent cooperation."

Tori wickedly smiled at the serious-looking prince. "What you have to do for me is bring your fathers to me. I will trade with them myself."

Realization dawned upon his face which made Tori grinned even more. "You will trade the Trading Union. But you know that they would take it all from you."

Tilting her head in wonder as she observed the flustered prince who disliked her plan, Tori replied. "Exactly. And you will give it back to me. After all, you two are my beloved imperial vassals. As long as you become the kings of your respective countries, I could play my cards well."

"You are risking too much in this plan of yours. This is not like you, Tori." Prince Yei Lin observed.

"Aren't you the one who asked me to trust you as my vassals?" Besides, I know a person who risked everything he has just to save me. Who am I to turn a blind eye to that?

Standing up, Tori offered her leather-covered arm to Talia. "I have to get ready. I have to meet Marchioness Susana in a while."

"Aren't you going to visit him?"

Tori stopped from her tracks. By 'him', Prince Yei Lin meant the second prince. The crown prince saw how Tori went rigid. It took her a few seconds before she conjured up the words. "How can I? I have yet to succeed."

"Seeing you will make him happy in his remaining days."

Remaining Days? Tori spun harshly to Prince Yei Lin. Her red eyes burned like the devil. "He will not die. No one in this world has the right to take him from me. No one will have him but me."

That's right. I am a greedy person, Yei Lin. The moment Cory decided to lay his life for me was also the turning point of my plans. Before, I only desired to live. I desired to be the queen to be an invincible person against my enemies. But after I heard what you did for me and after my vassals kneeled for loyalty, I can't imagine sitting on the queen's throne without you as my king, Prince Corean Shuia Eckrett.

I never expected that my longtime desire to be protected will be granted in a twisted way by the same prince who is meant to die.

THE WARY look on Marchioness Susana's face contradicted with the sunny disposition of Tori as the two noble ladies sipped their teas. "I heard what happened to you, Lady Victoria."

"Oh, worry not. I will not take it against you if you expected me to die that day. Wouldn't it solve your problems, right?"

Marchioness Susana paled before sipping her tea to avoid the topic that would endanger her in front of the smiling Tori. So Tori continued prodding the trapped Marchioness, "I met your new coachman. Isn't he quite dashing?" Dashing enough to get addicted again.

Tori's sly ruby-colored eyes glanced at the Marchioness who set aside her teacup to hide the obvious shake of her hands upon Tori's mention of the Marchioness's current lover. "I heard that Marquess Zoliel favored that young boy. I guess his fondness is rooted in his lack of a child to spoil. Well, thank goddess, I want to see the Marquess's face after he learns that you are with child." Only, it is not your husband's child. Tori's smile glinted with sugary promise, but the weight of her words froze the Marchioness.

Tori wanted to smile in triumph as she watched the frightened face of her guest. According to Lily, who started an enormous spy network during Tori's absence, a handmaiden of the Zoliel Household saw the Marchioness in intimate positions at the stable with the newly hired coachman. A few weeks later, the Marchioness showed symptoms that she was with the child. Instead of informing the Marquess, Marchioness Susana hid it. The reason was that since their argument, the Marquess stopped visiting the chamber of Marchioness Susana.

Though, I wondered why you aren't killing your husband yet.

"What do you want from me, Lady Victoria?" Marchioness Susana snapped at Tori after composing herself. Tori wanted to laugh at the defiance displayed in front of her.

Straight to the point, I like that. It will save me more time than running into circles.

Tori rang the bell and in a few seconds, Prince Allistair came trotting while grabbing a tied commoner. Upon recognizing the man in front of her, Marchioness Susana gasped audibly. With his eyes half-closed, the commoner, stilled upon seeing the quivering Marchioness. Tori observed the interaction.

Oh-ho, so this is how it is.

"Now, shall we begin again?" Tori smiled at the Marchioness. The turmoil evident in her eyes meant Tori's absolute victory in this trade. "I want sole proprietorship to the Trading Union," said Tori with her no-bullshit voice.

"You know I can't do that! That is absurd, Lady Tori. No matter how you threatened me, I still need my husband's signature upon transferring."

Oh, I know that. But that's why you are here, Marchioness Susana.

Tori slid the dagger from her side of the table to Marchioness Susana. Upon realizing what it was, the shell-shocked face of the Marchioness welcomed the smiling face of Tori. "Oh please, let us drop the pretense as if you never considered killing him yourself."

Tori could see the Marchioness's hesitation. So she stood up and walked towards the kneeling commoner, who was once the coachman of the Zoliel Household. Grabbing the commoner's hair, Tori twisted his face to the Marchioness's side. "Worry not, Marchioness Susana. This one lost his tongue already. He won't be able to defend himself when the death of the Marquess will be pointed to of him." The commoner flailed only to be restrained by Prince Allistair who was listening with a grinning face. Marchioness Susana's eyes widened as the glint of hope evident in how the wrinkled knots vanished from her face.

The obvious contempt on their faces meant that Marchioness Susana and the coachman were not on good terms. Though he impregnated her, the commoner failed to take a hold of her when she abandoned him by firing him. Marchioness Susana, you are one smart woman with one weakness, your addiction to committing a felony.

"What's in it for me, Lady Victoria?"

Tori let go of the commoner's hair harshly which earned her a glare from the arrogant fool. She took a seat after she fed Talia a piece of peanut again. "The child you are carrying will be the next heir of the Zoliel Household. My vassals will clean up your mess to ensure that you will become the victim of the situation that you will create. Isn't it nice? Removing your restraint while earning the favor of the high society."

The obvious conviction in the Marchioness Susana's eyes marked Tori's stepping stones as accomplished.

"You got yourself a deal, Lady Victoria." Marchioness Susana curtsied to Tori before leaving. Prince Allistair followed with the commoner in tow. Lily went inside her room upon knowing that she would be alone already.

"Your spy network among the handmaidens of the nobles and aristocrats astounded me, Lily."

Lily smiles as she served Tori the newly brewed Oolong Tea. "Information is the strongest key in a battle of power plays, Lady Tori. I realized it from you so I decided to help you with every bit of my will by creating this spy network among the empire's nobility."

Tori smiled before sipping the tea that she came to love. "You are indeed my handmaiden."

"Oh, before I forgot, prepare me some outdoor dress, Lily."

"What's the occasion, Lady Tori?"

Grinning wickedly to Lily, Tori replied. "I have a funeral to attend."