From what Asmodeus could tell, Kymra had been playing coy the entire time.

And Robyn's patience was wearing incredibly thin.

He wouldn't show it around me - or at least who Robyn thought was me - he'd show it to everyone else. He was moody often furious and would take his frustrations out on others.

Asmodeus had seen it first hand with some servants and on more than one occasion, had to intervene for their sake.

But he'd only been able to get close enough to Robyn several weeks after I left. Which meant I was on my own as to whether or not I could guess what happened in the few weeks he wasn't around.

Apparently, Kymra had been tired all of the time.

"I suspect it is because she had to do more Dust towards the end," he looked at me pointedly from his chair. "You were getting stronger and pulling more magic from her. She was barely holding on. Her hair was starting to turn black. I had to act."

I still didn't trust him and I didn't hide the sarcasm in my voice. "How very selfless of you."

He only laughed. "You have handmaidens now."

I frowned. "What is that?"

"Female servants, they help you with whatever you need. Feed you, bathe you, help you dress."

I looked at him, horrified.

"They're even helping you with your magic. Small tasks, of course, nothing like what Julian was showing you. Getting changed, spectering objects."

I let out a puff of air. Robyn wasn't even showing me magic himself? Damien would be the one to teach me. He would be the one that watch me carefully and make sure I wouldn't hurt anyone else. He wouldn't let some strangers let him do that for him. "This is ridiculous. Damien would never -"

Asmodeus interrupted. "You keep saying 'Damien would never do this, Damien would never do that'. That is the point. You're right - Damien would never agree to have handmaidens or servants like Robyn does. But this isn't Damien. Damien is dead. And the sooner you get it through your skull the sooner all of this can end."

I got up forcefully from the chair I was sitting in and strode across the room to the only door of the sitting room. I didn't need to take his crap.

"Where are you going?"

I didn't turn. "I'm leaving. I don't need to take your condescending attitude."

He suddenly spectered in front of me, dark eyes watching me over. "Do you even know where you're going?"

"At this point," I said moving around him. "I don't even care as long as it's not around you. Your energy is like battery acid."

And it was true - it was like the night before. I could feel his energy ooze from him, dark and polluted. Reading energy came and went in waves. It wasn't bad when I was in a crowd but as the day wore on it got worse. I was finding it incredibly hard to even concentrate and the effort alone was giving me a headache.

I opened one of the doors and found myself in a large hall. Right outside the door were two women dressed in black from head to toe. Both looked to be young and stunning.

They didn't meet my eyes as they quickly curtsied.

Instinctively, the words tumbled from my mouth. "Please don't curtsy."

They both looked at each other then at me, confusion written in their eyes. They were identical in their movements and expressions. "I'm sorry, my Lady, it's only proper. We must."

One of them cleared their throat. "Would you like to have something to eat now? You should have plenty of time to get ready for the party afterward."

The party. The one Kymra had mentioned she'd meet me. My stomach grumbled at the sudden mention of food and I realized that with everything that had occurred during the day, I hadn't eaten at all.

I nodded and was led through dizzying coal black halls of the large mansion we were in. The home was grand much like in the way the Keep was but smaller. I didn't have to go very far to find the room where I ate my lunch - or was it dinner?- then to the room where I was staying. I was alone again except for the two women who were at my side constantly and the guards stationed outside of every room I was in.

As the day wore on, the headache intensified.

But it wasn't due to any noise anyone was making. Everyone was as quiet as a tomb around me. While I ate, the only sound I could hear were of those of the utensils on the plate, the scraping back and forth as I cut up my food. I could sense turmoil in those around me.

And overwhelming sadness. Especially from the handmaidens. Though try as I might to get them to tell me anything, they wouldn't. They would only speak to me about the party in the evening and the Royal Tour. Nothing they said indicated anything was wrong - nothing that would make them feel the way I was reading them.

The mood didn't lighten even as they helped me dress in the evening.

The dress was, again, chosen for me.

It was heavy and dark and had more fabric than I was used to seeing on a dress. The back was completely exposed but the front was full of appliqué patterns placed in just the right position to give me some sort of modesty. The skirts billowed out from the waist and fell in different layers all around with a small train behind me when I stood and walked.

As they started to work on my hair, the darker of the two women turned to me, "Would you like to glamour your hair long? The Alteazor prefers it long."

Robyn preferred it long, she meant. Damien wouldn't care.

I only nodded.

"I can teach you," she said with a smile.

After a brief lesson, my silver hair was long again and placed up into a decorative updo. I continued to look at myself in the mirror as they transformed me and instantly I felt the dread settle in.

This was what Robyn wanted. A powerful doll he could play with. That would exert her power as soon as he needed it.

But for what purpose? What possible use could I be to him?

Someone knocked on the door making one of the women quickly move to it as the other handed me large onyx earrings.

I watched in the mirror as the paler skinned woman went to the door and quickly curtsied as she opened it.

I felt the nervousness rise in my throat and tried my best to hide it. I swallowed the anxiousness that began to creep.

Robyn walked in and instantly dismissed the women leaving the two of us alone in the room.

And gods. Just looking at him was enough to make me want to forget everything. He was impeccably dressed in a fine jacket and pants, so fine and so detailed I could have easily have gotten lost in the patterns of the jacket - even looking at him from across the room.

Atop his head was a heavy-looking gold crown.

And I instantly recognized it as the one I'd seen the night Damien told me he was king. The same night he told me his father passed away.

I felt myself break out into a sweat and my hands begin to shake involuntarily. I tried to breathe through my mouth, trying to calm myself as he approached me sitting on the small chair near the dresser.

He needed to leave.

I cleared my throat. "I don't think it's proper for you to be in my room while I'm getting ready."

I watched him give a small smile. "Damn propriety, Em, I wanted to see you."

I felt a stab in my hear as he said my name. I couldn't look at him. Not yet. I had to get it together first.

I tried as quietly as I could to control my breathing as he moved behind me. "You look beautiful."

I didn't smile. "I prefer to be in sweatpants."

"What's wrong?"

The tone made me look at his reflection in front of me so I could watch his expression. His question wasn't one of concern it sounded more like a demand.

"You've been acting strange today," he elaborated. "What's going on?"

I shook my head grasping at a possible excuse. "My power, something's off. I have a headache."

I watched a smile twitch his features. "Then allow me to assist." As soon as he said it, he reached for my free hand.

The headache was instantly gone. Well, sort of. It was no longer the incessant pounding that seemed to increase as the day continued, it was duller. The feelings that seemed to be fighting around me to be read were gone, muted. It was as if a frosted glass was placed between myself and them.

And it happened as soon as Damien touched me.

I watched our hands as he held tightly to my fingers and settled next to me on the bench. His face came into view and I found myself almost weeping.

I wanted so badly for it all to be over. I wanted Damien back. Sitting mere inches from him, seeing his voilet eyes watch me as they had for years just made me ache for him even more.

This was torture beyond words. To be so close to him but to not have him - not see him, not be with him.

And it was all his bastard uncle's fault.

No.

It was my fault.

My fault.

I was the reason we were in this mess. It was exactly as Asmodeus said.

His brows furrowed and his free hand reached for my cheek. "Don't cry, Em. It's all right."

I shook my head. "Sorry. It's just a relief to only hear myself again," I lied.

He smiled. "It's why I'm here, dear."

The word brought me back to my senses and before I could change my mind, I channeled my power to try to find Damien. I pictured him as I remembered him, I pictured him from the dream and somehow tried to find him as he held my hand. I concentrated as I watched him, secretly hoping that somehow I could find him -

Robyn pulled his hand back quickly. "What was that?"

I blinked regaining my focus. It was too fast. I couldn't sense anything. "Sorry," I cleared my throat. "I-I'm still learning. I don't know how to focus what I'm doing."

He smiled. "Are you finally feeling comfortable enough with it?"

I nodded hesitantly, unsure of what the underlying question really was. Did he mean was I comfortable enough to use any power then use to his advantage? "Getting there. I guess I just need practice?"

I tried not to flinch as he placed a hand under my chin.

I looked away instead. "Thank you for helping me."

"Come on," he nodded towards the doors. "They're waiting for us."

I let him lead me down the dizzying halls of the home then finally to a large room where we were formally announced.

As we crossed the threshold, I felt like I'd run into a wall of smog. Heavy polluted air crowded towards me in a way I'd never felt before. I fought a wave of nausea.

I tried to lose myself in the beautiful decor and splendor of the room. It was a large ballroom much in the way I'd seen in movies with ostentatious decoration and over the top flowers and furniture.

The fae women of the room were all in large gowns, the men in dark clothing like Damien's. They crowded the middle of the room where they had been dancing in previously before we walked in. At the end of the room were large chairs like the ones at the Keep of the Throne Room. There was a large one in the middle of the pedestal and a smaller to its right.

I noticed the stares of everyone in the room and wanted to make myself as small as possible.

I hated crowds.

I hated the stares. It was like everyone's eyes were bearing into me. They were laser-focused as they examined me. I could feel their eyes run me up and down as I stood next to Damien.

Gods. If they only knew the whole truth.

Damien who held my hand in the crook of his elbow didn't even budge. He was comfortable with the stares, reveled in the attention.

Damien had always been comfortable with crowds but he never looked as damn smug as he did in that moment.

It was like he missed it.

And that was all Robyn.

He led me up the steps of the pedestal and to the smaller of the chairs. Once he stopped and turned, he sat on the larger one and everyone resumed their actions.

I let out a long breath as conversation resumed in the ballroom.

The energy in the room was overwhelming. All I could feel was oppressive polluted air around me almost as if it was going to seep into my pores.

I couldn't concentrate. I could barely hear myself think. I shifted in my chair uncomfortably and I heard someone approach.

"What's going on?"

I looked at Asmodeus as he stood next to me on the opposite side of Damien. Damien was preoccupied with someone else on his other side.

I shook my head. "I don't know. I feel like I'm going to be sick." I felt a wave of nausea. "I need a bucket or something."

I watched Asmodeus roll his eyes and turn to Damien. He froze mid-move. "Ah, shit."

I looked to where he stared and froze too.

"Alteazor," Julian's voice was jovial. "I didn't know you would let such vulgar language around the Lady."

Julian stood at the bottom of the pedestal behind two guards who didn't let him approach.

I looked at Damien as he watched Julian. He only smiled. "Lord Julian, please, by all means, approach."

As soon as he said the words, the guards stepped aside and let Julian pass.

I watched him with bated breath as he approached.

He barely glanced at me. It was as if I was a complete stranger.

"I didn't know the Lady of Anant had invited you to our ball."

He was unabashed. "She didn't. I heard of a ball with the King and the Lady of Elendil and I wanted to formally introduce myself." He still didn't look at me. "And to ask her for a dance."

I swallowed.

I heard a small growl come from Asmodeus.

"After all," he finally turned to me. "I am the reason she is back with you, safe."

I felt Asmodeus move next to me. "The Lady just informed me she wasn't feeling well."

I ignored Asmodeus and jumped into action. I needed to be alone with Julian. I needed to speak with him even if only for a moment. Something in me ached to be with him. I thought of the part I needed to play.

I turned to Damien. "Is this really Julian? The same Julian you told me helped you defeat Robyn?"

If what I said hurt Robyn in any way, he didn't let it show. Instead, he smiled cooly. "The one and the same."

I stood carefully and approached Asmodeus. "I am feeling well enough for a dance." I turned to Damien. "What could it hurt?"

I watched a half smile suddenly appear on Damien's face. "As you wish, Em."

I turned to Julian. I could barely breathe. "Thank you. For helping me then. I owe you my life." I extended my hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Emmy."

A knowing smile crossed Julian's handsome face. "The pleasure is all mine, Emmy."

He took my hand and as soon as he did the headache stopped, the nausea was gone and everything came into focus. The polluted air was gone - like magic had gone through and swept through the room.

Or through me.