BLACK FEATHERS covered the black silk from her waist and down. Black diamonds formed into flower designs that swirled around her chest while black laces covered her arms to her wrists. The outdoor dress that Queen Aurina specially prepared for this outdoor dress that Tori was wearing with the notorious black veil that covered her face from everyone to see.

"You looked hot. Hot in a way that the Sun God would like to fry." Sarcasm laced upon Crown Prince Allistair's voice as he watched her being adorned by her handmaidens.

Duke Rowan Castaña entered her room after three knocks with Crown Prince Yei Lin in tow. The former brought an elongated box with him which earned the interest of everyone aside from the occupied handmaidens. The young duke went straight to Tori who was standing and being surrounded by her handmaidens. "My ladies, will you excuse us for a minute?"

As soon as the handmaidens left, the young duke opened the rectangular case. The two princes expected a sword but were left astounded when they saw a black parasol with a sharp point as red and gold embroidery decorated around it.

"This will suit you wherever you go. As a noble lady, you can take this anywhere. But when cornered in a difficult situation, the sharp point is as sharp as the knight's sword. You will need this as you chose this path."

Yeah, the path full of thorns. I don't care about the blasted plot anymore. That plot will not be my limit, I made a mistake and I won't let Cory pay the price of my naivety.

Holding the parasol in her hand, Tori swung it to her right. The flowers from her vase fell on the floor when the sharp point of the parasol slashed them like the wind. The audible gasp of Lily rung inside the eerily silent room, a contradiction to the wicked gleam the reflected on Tori's eyes.

THE CARRIAGE of the Ming Country's royal envoy arrived just as Tori expected at the Monakre Royal Family's pavilion the same as the royal envoy of the Kingdom of Monakre at the palace. Though she knew that the noble faction spies were just outside the pavilion, Tori would use them for her benefit.

Clad in her mourning dress without the veil that obstructed her face, Tori, along with her vassals welcomed King Rei Lin of Ming Country. Prince Yei Lin stepped forward to kiss his father's ring as a sign of respect. Tori, on the other hand, bowed slightly as she placed her palm on her right chest. "Hailing Aku Shara's blessings upon you, Eastern Sun." Performing the basic curtsy in the Ming Country surprised the king which earned Tori a favor. After all, she prepared well for this meeting. She knew that the King of Monakre would do her bidding since he owed her a great favor. But Prince Yei Lin's father, King Rei Lin, was another entity. He was the king of the wealthy merchant country for a reason.

"Blessings to the Empire's shining comet of change, Lady Victoria Rozenreff." The commanding aura of the king whipped around them as he took her hand and kissed the back of her palm.

"Please, follow me, Your Majesty." Tori with Duke Rowan and Lily in tow led the king to the breathtaking garden of the pavilion while the two princes led the other officials to the prepared private banquet.

Duke Rowan acted as a knight more than a politician as Lily personally catered to the needs for the private tea time between Tori and King Rei Lin. Everyone was tensed except the two.

Serving the king an Oolong tea herself, Tori did not beat around the bush and went straight to her goal. "Your Majesty, How is the trade in the Centro?"

The Centro is the continent next to the Eckrett Empire that is composed of archipelagic countries that thrived because of the trade. The merchant country of the east wants to enter the systematic trading Centro, but the Eckrett's Trading Union made it harder for the Ming Country to join the inner circle of the large trading center of the world. The Trading Union was the lifeline of trades to the Ming country, Monakre Kingdom, and the Eckrett Kingdom towards the Centro. Though these long years of partnership become a hindrance to the Ming Country who could not start a new alliance due to being tied still to the Trading Union. And for someone who ruled a trade thriving country, this was quite a problem.

"I knew that coming here is not a waste of time. Hearing from your tone, you seem to have a solution for my problem." The amused look of the sly king of the east did not go unnoticed to Tori who was just smiling sweetly.

"Simple, let the owner of the Trading Union relinquish your long-term partnership. That way, you can have the full reigns of your trade routes to the Centro without being outsmarted by the lecher, Marquess Zoliel." Tori clasped her hands together while offering King Rei Lin a sugary smile. Yes, just cut your lingering connection to the current monarch of this empire. That way, you will be free to be owned again. And this time, it will be me and the dynasty that I will create.

King Rei Lin saw the snake behind the smiling flower in front of him. He knew that he needed to tread this carefully. Or else, he would end up getting bitten. "I love how you make it sound so simple, Lady Victoria. But I wonder if Marquess Zoliel will free me from the 100-year contract bound by your king's forefathers and my forefathers."

He saw how the lady in front of her dropped her innocent-looking façade by just smiling slyly at him. She whistled as if she was calling someone or something which astounded the king. The next thing he realized, he heard the flapping of the wings before an enormous bird landed in her laced-covered right arm.

The king of the east stood up abruptly with the surprising arrival of the lady's pet, but what made him stood up was the droplets of blood that spilled to the pristine ground of the garden from the small sack that the grey-feathered hawk held using its beak.

"It is indeed simple, Your Majesty." Tori patted Talia before putting down the bloody sack to the ground. She also took the parchment from the message holder around its neck. "Go now," said Tori which the hawk obeyed by flying to the nearest branch as it scanned the king as if assessing if it was dangerous. "Pardon the gruesome display, Your Majesty." Sliding down the bloody parchment to the King who just took his seat back, Tori smiled sweetly at him even with a smudge of blood on her cheek.

You enjoyed it this much huh, Marchioness Susana. Tori glanced at the head that rolled out from the small sack that Talia safely delivered from her.

Lily curtsied before wiping the smudge of blood from Tori's cheek as the latter continued observing the eastern king's reaction as she sipped her tea. The former immediately excused herself by doing a curtsy again. Tori, on the other hand, saw how the king's eyes widened upon realizing what's he's reading. So Tori decided to butt in, "As I said, the solution to your long overdue problem is quite simple, Your Majesty. After all, you are talking to the sole owner of the Trading Union who also wished to relinquish the partnership that restraint your country from earning more profits."

Tori carefully took the parchment and rolled it, her eyes never leaving the familiar raven eyes of the king who was now looking at her seriously. It is time that you should take me seriously, Your Majesty. Tori stood up as she continued, "Though the contract sealed by the king will be a problem, Your Majesty." She stepped onto the head and flipped it using her left foot, showing the king the shell-shocked face of Marquess Zoliel. "Though, the solution for that is also simple. Will you hear me out, Your Majesty?" Gone was the pretense of acting friendly, Tori showed her real and ugly form to her newly acquired ally.

"What is it, Lady Victoria?"

Offering her right hand, Tori replied. "Will you help me usurp the throne? With that, I can easily trash the shackles that kept the Ming Country for many years."

Under the shade of the Willow Tree, surrounded by the cool breeze of the western wind, an alliance was formed that would shake the pillars of the world as King Rei Lin kissed the back of Tori's palm.

PRINCE YEI LIN took his father to his chamber in the pavilion. Lily rushed to prepare her veil. After all, it was time to attend a funeral.

Tori who was calmly sipping her tea as she waited for Lily got interrupted by Duke Rowan. "You did great as always, Lady Tori."

"Have a seat, Duke Rowan. And yes, the alternative result is not an option for me if I want to win this game that Cory started."

The young Duke of Castaña smiled bitterly as he saw the tender way his mistress uttered the second prince's name. "Do you want to visit him?"

He saw how Tori visibly went rigid before smiling sadly at him. He could see the changes in her after the second prince sacrificed his everything just to save her, something that the young duke could not do unless he would resort to committing treason.

"How can I visit him when I can't free him yet?" Tears flowed from her eyes. She was showing such vulnerability to him. "If I see him suffering, I think I will go crazy. I don't know how to act in front of him, I don't know." He could see that she was not the fierce Lady Victoria Rozenreff, but a lady who was torn from being worried and missing her man.

The young Duke stood up to kiss her forehead which made Tori's eyes to grow widened, but the act made her missed a certain golden-eyed prince. Tori let go of Duke Rowan, "I want to see him. Bring me to him."

Smiling, the young Duke took her hand and kissed the back of her palm. "Whatever you wished is my command, Lady Tori."

Duke Rowan Castaña decided just to be his mistress's knight until he drew his last breathes.

TEN LOCKS attached to the double doors of Prince Cory's prison cell. The warden of the capital's prison cell looked at her dubiously as Tori gripped the parasol's handle, her red eyes flaming with anger as the loyalist to the first prince refused to meet her eyes when she requested to see the second prince. "I won't ask again. Open this door." The threat laced upon in her voice made the royal knight react by stepping forward to her in an imposing manner which ticked Tori off.

Swinging her parasol, blood sputtered to the cramped hallway. The disrespectful knight laid to the floor with his throat cut open. "I said, open the door."

"Your ruined title will not save–'' The warden was about to attack the Tori when Duke Rowan moved to pierce his sword right into the attacker's chest.

"You." Tori pointed to the remaining knight. "Open the damn door or you will follow their fate."

The knight quivered and hurriedly took the set of keys from the warden's belt. When all the locks were opened, Tori nodded at the young Duke. "Finish him."

He is inside this goddess-forsaken cell. Pushing the double doors, Tori entered the dark and smelly prison cell. No light. No window. No bed. No table. No chair. And in front of her was the man he grew to care, chained to the wall. He was wearing nothing but his pants as his body crisscrossed with whip wounds. His once soft brown hair matted with his blood as it obstructed his face from her. She could not recognize if he was asleep or not.

Her gasp escaped from her quivering lips, tears threatened to spill. But Tori refused to cry because she knew that Cory would hate seeing her cry.