THE MESSAGE was delivered and clear. Queen Taneisha was watching and she knew that Melusine was getting sidetracked. The Fairy Mother had eyes and ears everywhere, and sending Elros and Naida was only the first warning.

Melusine's feet were stuck in the mud and she had to get herself together before she sank too deep beyond rescue. The feelings that Edric was making her feel—the subtle exchange of smiles, the secret conversations with their eyes, the constant banter, and the foreign and scary yet warm affections—were just trifling side quests to her real mission.

Whatever relationship she would build with Edric or anyone else was for naught, for Melusine would eventually leave once her purpose in the mortal realm was over. She'd be back to being the fairy who would hide beneath the veil of the night to watch the humans go by their lives. No one would know she was there.

Melusine dug through the deepest recesses of her heart, a cold hollow world where things she wished to forget hid. In there, she threw in the growing affection for the prince before it bloomed into something harder to resist. She locked that part of her heart.

A certain distance was felt between them even though they were skin-to-skin and a breath away. The heat radiating off their bodies evaporated into mists of ice. And Edric, although completely unaware of the inner maelstrom going through Melusine's heart and mind, sensed the change of ambiance when her emotion-filled eyes suddenly grayed and her tangled entangled arms around his neck slackened.

The prince bent his head to level their eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she said, shaking her head, her tone distant. Melusine tasted the bitterness of her lie on her tongue.

Edric pressed his lips into a thin line, not buying her answer. Melusine prayed he would just let it go.

To her relief, the prince nodded as he said, "Very well. You must be feeling tired from our dancing. To be honest, I don't wish to let you go but..." He looked past her shoulders. "Other ladies are waiting. As much as I want to give you all of my attention, the prince cannot show favorites until the start of the Social Season."

Please, don't, she prayed in silence. Let me go and seek other ladies who can give you what I can't. After all, the bargain was the only anchor keeping them together.

Their swift glides on the dance floor turned into gentle swaying. Edric was quiet for so long, she began to unconsciously play with the long locks of his hair. When he did speak, his voice was lower than before. "Tomorrow morning, when the king grants you an audience, keep our history a secret. I don't want the queen to know that we met before tonight. It would skew her judgment of you."

The queen, not Mother. And why would the prince worry more for the queen than the king?

There was no future for her and Edric, so this shouldn't hurt. And what? They had known each other no more than a day, where was this subtle connection coming from? But Melusine couldn't deny the sharp twisting in her chest.

He added in a firm voice, "I don't want her to know my secret life outside the palace, or else the partnership we have is over before it even begins. I don't want her to know anything that might make her question why you're really here. That their crown prince is a traitor. That he's been communicating with the Knights of Ailes all this time."

Melusine didn't know how he planned to do it. Whatever his plan was, the prince did not wish to share. What mattered was for each of them to keep the end of the bargain. The prince's actions were already outside her business.

Edric swallowed. There was a storm brewing in those ocean-blue eyes. "You know, you're not too bad. I like the idea of having you around.

I wish you'd stop saying sweet things. Maybe Robby was right and the prince was a ladies' man.

His dashing smile was back and her heart picked up. Melusine realized it was becoming her favorite.

"So let's make the most of our time together," he said. A clock chimed a tic-toc inside her head as the countdown began. Make the most of their limited time. All the more reason she should guard her fairy heart.

She nodded, and as he let her go to take another lady for a dance, her stomach clenched uncomfortably.

AFTER A SEEMINGLY endless dancing, feasting, and courtly gossip—all of which Melusine refused to participate in—the palace's major-domo led the twelve lady suitors to the east wing where they would be staying in their guest rooms until the end of the Social Season. And by the end of the season, the prince must choose his bride. A bride that would be Melusine.

Melusine threw herself on the bed and blew a relieved sigh after discarding the gown from her body. Pressing half of her face on the soft mattress, she stroked the gown's tulle fabric, admiring the details of the handiwork from the textile's weaving pattern to the embedded beads, pearls, and glitters.

But every time she wouldn't think of him, the prince would come to the forefront of her mind. Melusine completely buried her face in the pillow, muffling her scream. She kicked her feet and punched the pillow, imagining Edric at the receiving end. The man would continue to haunt her even in this quiet solitude.

"Melusine," Robby hissed and Melusine went completely still.

She felt his weight on the bed. Melusine sat to face him and the look on her face made Robby jump and yelp. Smeared lipstick and dripping mascara. Melusine looked like a live picture of a woman who got cheated on by her husband.

Robby tugged his rabbit ears and said in a panicked voice, "Oh, Melusine! What happened?"

Melusine's lips trembled, and as much as she wanted to play it cool, the dam of tears burst free. She buried her face in her palms and wept. "Oh, Robby! I'm in so much trouble." Melusine left nothing unsaid as she poured everything into Robby.

"There, there," said Robby, fondling her hair with his paw. "You're not in too deep yet. There is hope! Whatever feelings you have for the prince are only temporary manifestations of having a mortal body. You cannot love him. It hasn't been a day since you know the man."

Melusine froze and her eyes welled with new fresh tears. "Love? Fairies don't love."

Robby threw his paws over his head. "Of course, you can! You cared too deeply. You care for me, Elros, and Naida. Even the Fairy Mother. You think of everyone important to you—all the time. You are the forest fairy, a nurturer, and a protector. You are the only fairy who's willing to see the good in humans. And you did all those things without expecting anything given to you in return. You are a giver of love. If that isn't love, I don't know what is."

He placed his paws on her cheeks and squished them. "Look, I don't know what the Fairy Mother has ingrained in your mind but love is an ever-present thing. You cannot see it but it's everywhere. It's what keeps the world going. Where hatred breeds, love hides somewhere. One only has to look."

Melusine frowned. Queen Taneisha was every fairy child's role model. From her childhood, Melusine looked up to her. However, there were quite a handful of times when her curious mind put her in so much trouble and those equaled rightful punishments. The scars on her back ached at the memory of the queen's thorny whip. They were the product of Melusine's wayward maneuvers. The Fairy Mother's words were absolute and contradicting her was considered a form of rebellion.

But could the Fairy Mother be wrong? Were fairies capable of love? A romantic love.

"You mean..." Melusine fiddled with her thumbs. Her eyes glazed over, staring at nothing. "Is it possible that I love him?"

"The prince? No!" Robby clicked his tongue. "I do not approve of that man! So far, he hasn't shown any astounding quality to be worthy of you, Melusine. Romantic love isn't given freely. It must be earned." He sighed, seeing the confusion on her face. "Your affection for him is at its ripe stage. It will take a lot of time for it to mature and bloom into love."

Robby placed one paw on her chest, right where her heart was. "Promise me one thing, Melusine. Guard your heart. Do not let anyone taint it or break it. You're too precious to be hurt."

Melusine wiped her tears away and smiled. "I promise."

Robby snorted, shaking his head. "Now clean your face. You look like a mess."

"No. That can wait." Melusine's face turned serious, her eyes expectant. "Did you find anything?"

Robby nodded. "While everyone else was in the ballroom, partying, I found this and managed to sneak it in here. I happened to hear some maids talking about the rooms where the lady suitors will be staying. Being small has an advantage, you know."

The rabbit sprinted and climbed the bookcase near the glass window to the right. Robby leaped and caught an arm of the chandelier. He swung, the chandelier moving to and fro, threw himself over the receiver bowl, grabbed something with his teeth, and landed smoothly on the bed.

He bowed and dropped three crumpled parchment papers on her lap. "Those are the letters I found tucked between the books in his study. I found the contents suspicious so I brought them here."

Doubt crept into her nerves. "And what if he notices some of his letters are missing?"

He waved his paw on his face, dismissing the idea. "No, he won't. Do you remember the state of his room? He'll be thinking he misplaced those letters in that mess."

That did not put Melusine at ease, but she began to spread the letters open in front of her and read:

April 26, 1801

E,

Coco almost got caught by the dogs. Need a change in the mode of exchanging letters. I'll send it to Gigi next time. She's as fast as a thief, as sneaky as a shadow. 

The brotherhood is safe this time. Got tipped off that some random thugs are after us. It's cold here though. Can't wait for spring to come. Do inform us for the next get-together.

S

March 15, 1801

E, 

If only you weren't so far away, I might kill you right now. They're fast this time. Are you sure our letters are kept private? Send Gigi back the thing I gave you from our first meeting, so I can know it's still you I'm talking to. Your reckless decision would get us killed someday. Send me another letter once you clear your head, otherwise I don't want to hear anything from you.

S

March 18, 1801

E, 

Who is this woman? Is she someone we can trust? I hope you're not making a mistake. Postpone the meeting. We have to move again. I hate to think there's a traitor among us. It's not you, is it? You swear you won't hand us over. 

We're moving West. To the place of Coco's birth. The day before the Social Season. I bet you'll have less time sneaking off once the season starts. And that woman you're talking about? I have a strong feeling she'll be distracting you for days. Plump cheeks and rosy lips? A woman with a certain glow and beauty of a rose? I don't know. Are you sure you hate her guts? You sound lovestruck.

S

Melusine's hands trembled in time with the erratic beating of her heart. Her hold on the parchment tightened, crumpling the edges. She forgot the rest of the letter's content and the only thing playing in her mind were those last words.

Robby huffed. "It wouldn't take a genius to figure out the letters' recipient. Is this the most subtle they can get?"

"The Knights," Melusine said once she got her heart under control and set her mind straight. "And Edric would sneak off to meet them before the first day of the Social Season." Melusine looked at Robby and then back at the letters, her eyes coming to life. "That's two days away."

"And your plan is?"

Melusine grinned. "We won't let this knowledge pass, would we? Of course, we'll go."