As soon as the door closed behind her, she released her breath with a soft whoosh. That had been ... intense. She hadn't expected herself to go off on him like that. All she had been planning to do when she saw him sulking – and he was definitely sulking – was to give him a bit of consolation, tell him she was sorry for everything, get all that pressure off her chest.

But instead, all she managed to do was to embarrass herself. Now he knew everything. He was a smart man. He knew that she had feelings for him; he knew that she thought about him every minute of every day and he knew that she was drowning in her guilt after what happened between them. And that only served to make her angrier.

Who did he think he was? He thought that just because he was the devilishly handsome prince he could do anything he wanted with her heart? Her heart was too precious an item to be given out to just anyone; he should be grateful! He should be honoured!

Mynera boosted herself away from the door, stalking away to her bedchambers. She would show him. She would show him just what he was missing out on. She would show him that she wasn't simply Lady Mynera Antarian of Typena. She was also the Lady Mynera Antarian, the dangerous Arcadian priestess. She didn't need him. She didn't need anyone.

Her lingering rage pushed her down the halls until, at long last, she reached her bedchambers. There she lingered just behind the door, replaying the horribly embarrassing encounter in the Archives and, feeling another boost of anger, rushed over to draw herself a bath. She spent little time in the water, scrubbing furiously at her skin until it was rubbed raw and burned even more when she dipped her skin into the boiling hot water. It was no matter to her, though. She welcomed the pain. She felt like a phoenix rising from the ashes after all that happened. And she had to let the phoenix be seen.

Stark naked, Mynera rushed over to her wardrobe, threw the double doors open. She stood there, scanning her clothing, trying to select the best dress she could find. Her hand reached out to take up the deep purple one, her instinct always to reach for purple, but then she drew back. No, not good enough. She needed something better. Something that would set everyone's hearts on fire.

Finally, she found the perfect dress. It was a deep red, lined with black and it clung to dip in her waist and flared beautifully at her hips. Mynera stood before the mirror, admiring the way it dipped in front, revealing enough tantalizing cleavage but not so much that it became indecent. The dress was long, running along the floor and dragging behind her. She gave a little twirl, laughing victoriously. This was it. This was the dress that would make Saenar think twice about rejecting her.

Mynera turned and sat at her vanity table. She scented her skin, pinched her cheeks and set about doing her hair. At first she had thought to leave it out but then decided against it. Leaving it out may have an alluring effect but she had worn that style every day since she arrived in Arcadia. She should do something different, to draw more eyes. She reached up and began braiding the front centre of her hair into two, stopping when she was halfway to the back. Then she pulled the sides of hair up to the middle and pinned it down. The rest laid heavily on her back. Then she smiled.

Watch out, Saenar.

Suddenly, there came a knock at her door. "Come in," Mynera called.

The door opened and Madeline slipped in. When she saw her, she folded her arms. "Where do you think you're going looking like that?" she demanded.

Mynera turned back to the mirror on the vanity table. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I mean," Madeline said, coming up behind her. "You're obviously trying to impress someone in a dress like that. And you did your hair too."

"Where would you get that idea?"

Madeline rolled her eyes, watching Mynera pucker her lips. "Don't act as if you don't know what I'm talking about. You're primping. Why are you primping?"

"Haven't it occurred to you that I might be primping for myself?"

"No," she stated simply, sitting on the bed. "It hasn't, because you haven't been doing anything like that since we came here."

"I wanted a change."

After a few moments of silence, Madeline asked, "Is this about Saenar?"

Mynera's head whipped around at the sound of his name. Her eyes narrowed at the blond queen. "What about Saenar?"

Madeline gave her a deadpan look. "There you go again pretending you don't know what I'm talking about. I know what's been going on between you two. Today was the first day he's said a word to since you caught up to us at the harbour."

"Oh. You notice, have you?"

"I think everyone noticed. And let me tell you, beating him in that duel didn't make it any better on your part."

"I know!" Mynera dropped her head into her hands. Madeline was right. That duel only made things worse between them. She had thought she would feel empowered at emasculating him but it only put a sour taste in her mouth. "I know, I know. I embarrassed him. He'll never accept my apology now."

"What is there to apologize for?" Madeline asked, a bit exasperated. "It's not your fault you got attacked by a vampire, and you were the one who decided to utilize that to your advantage. Without you, we wouldn't even have an army."

"Yes, but it's also my fault I was attacked in the first place. If I hadn't been in the tavern that night, none of that would have happened. And yes, it did give me the opportunity to secure an army but with me gone for so long and you guys waiting for me and looking for me, it really set us back on time. Now, Lord Gavin had more than enough time to sink his claws deeper into the rest of the Nations, which is more of a fight for us. Not to mention all the worry I caused you guys."

"That was completely out of your control and Saenar shouldn't be angry at you for that. Not talking to you for three whole months? That's just too much, if you ask me."

"He has more than enough reason." Mynera sighed and turned around, facing Madeline. The blond queen was dressed simply yet elegantly in a long silver dress. Her hair was piled high on her head and on her feet she wore simple slippers.

Madeline looked as if she wanted to roll her eyes, but her etiquette held her back. "Stop sulking around. You are both grown children. Work this thing out and stop sneaking around each other as if the other carries a disease. It's tiring just looking at the two of you."

Mynera sighed again and Madeline slid off the bed. "Look on the bright side," she said. "At least you look gorgeous."

That brought a smile to Mynera's face. "Wow. Once upon a time, those words would have never passed your lips if it concerned me."

Madeline merely waved her off. "As you say, it was once upon a time. I'm different now."

"As I can see."

"I'm stronger too."

Mynera quirked a brow. "Are you hinting at something?"

"Well, since you asked." Madeline's face lit up and she pulled Mynera out of the chair, pulling her towards the bed and sitting her down. She grinned excitedly. "I haven't told anyone else this but the priestesses have been teaching me a bit of medical treatment."

"Really?" This, Mynera did not expect. "Why?"

"Why? Well, I don't really want to be the only one stuck here while everyone is out fighting. I figured if I became useful I could tag along."

"I don't think that's enough for you to come along."

"I know, I figured that too. That's why I asked Saenar to teach me how to use a sword."

"Oh." Now she got it. "I can teach you."

"Of course, you'll teach me. I'm your queen." She flipped her hair over her shoulder, getting up from the bed, reminding Mynera of the old Madeline. She held back a small laugh.

Madeline grabbed her hand and hauled her to her feet. "Let us cut all this chit-chat. There's a lonely prince in the dining hall just waiting to be awestruck." She gave her a quick once-over, her eyes glowing with amazement. "You're going to kill him in that."

"That's the aim," Mynera said, twirling with a gentle bat of her eyelashes. She knew Madeline was right. She was going to kill him with this dress. And every other male that happened to be lucky enough to gaze upon her beauty. She laughed. Oh, it's going to be fun having all eyes on her.

Madeline tucked her arm into Mynera's, effectively pulling her towards the door. Immediately, Mynera felt a bit overshadowed, walking beside the queen but she quickly dismissed the feeling as it came. What was there to be insecure about? Sure, the queen was a beauty, but they were in two different ponds. Mynera saw herself as the dark-haired beauty whose tongue quips as well as the common fool, while Madeline was the graceful, blond beauty that could have a hard man cowering under her stare. What need was there to be insecure? That feeling quickly vanished and was replaced by another. They complemented each other, if anything.

Arm in arm, they walked slowly, gracefully to the dining hall. They were running a bit late but Mynera saw no problem with it. In fact, it would only make the impact she wanted greater. She smiled to herself, imagining the look on Saenar's face when he saw her strolling through those double doors. Oh, if only she could freeze that moment in time, she would.

At long last they arrived. Madeline looked at Mynera and gave her an odd yet comforting smile before Mynera reached forward and pushed the doors open. The dining hall wasn't as big as the one in Castle Antarian but it was well suited to accommodate the priestesses and any guest they may have. The ceiling was high, beautifully decorated with glass fixtures, unlit candles held inside them. The walls were rather mundane but the floor shone, after countless scrubbing, and the dining table was already laden with modest yet no doubt delicious food.

Everything in Arcadia was done by the priestesses. They were their own maids, their own butchers, their own hunstmen. Even the food on the table was cooked by them. Their self sufficiency was to such a high degree, that it made it impossible for them to rely on a man ever again. Mynera remembered the days she contributed to this, her daily schedule of cleaning, then hunting, then cooking and finally training, retrieving weapons from the underground armory to spar. The repetitiveness of her days didn't make it boring however. She looked forward to it, finding it enjoyable, especially when she worked with her fellow priestesses.

She stepped inside, her eyes scanning her surroundings. Seated at the table were the priestesses, all twenty five of them, and Ceres at the head. She wasn't concerned with them at the moment, however. She only had eyes for Saenar.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she saw that Hale was seated beside him, along with Lute, the perennially angry lycan pack leader, but she dismissed them instantly. Her eyes locked on to the brown orbs staring at her, and she felt a smile – more like a smirk – pull at her lips.

Slowly, Mynera reached up and grabbed ahold of her mother's necklace around her neck, drawing strength from it before she let it go and walked forward. "Good afternoon, sirs," she said softly.

She didn't look at Saenar anymore, although she was aware his stare burned into her. She just followed behind Madeline as they made their way to the side of the table opposite the men and sat, close to Ceres. She flashed Hale a smile, which he wasn't very successful in returning since his eyes were bulging from his head. Mynera almost danced in glee.

"Glad you could join us, ladies," Ceres said softly, her voice filled with amusement. No doubt she knew what Mynera was trying to do.

Mynera flashed her a wide smile. "I apologize for being a bit late. You see, there were a few finishing touches that had to be made." She flipped her hair over her shoulder delicately.

To her right, she heard Madeline make a soft, yet quite unladylike, snort. It looked as if Barron was beginning to rub off on her.

Mynera ignorned it. She focused her eyes on Ceres, willing herself to keep from even glancing at Saenar. "May we begin eating?" she asked.

Ceres' small smile didn't falter. "Now that you're here, then by all means..."

Mynera picked up her spoon and began eating. She made slow, deliberate movements in an effort to accentuate her grace and after a moment, she got what she wanted.

Hale cleared his throat, bringing all eyes to him. "You ladies look absolutely ..." He looked as if he was having trouble finding his words. Which was a minute success in Mynera's book. The ever articulate Hale Naiger was having trouble speaking? This was not only a first but a well welcomed one.

She smiled. "Thank you, Hale. You look good yourself."

That brought a dash of red to his cheeks and he grinned before he picked up his spoon and began eating.

Mynera's eyes shifted over expectantly to Saenar. Surely if Hale complimented them then the courteous thing to do was to compliment them too. Even if he didn't think they looked wonderful – which would be a lie all in all since she looked absolutely breathtaking – he should still say the words. But Saenar wasn't even looking at her anymore. His head was bent as he ate his food, his face impassive and unbothered by what was around him. Or, more specifically, unbothered by the effort she had put into impressing him.

Anger sparked in her before she tampered it away. Surely he was just trying to act nonchalant. That's right. He was acting nonchalant, he's just putting up a foolish front. For whatever reason, he was hiding the fact that he was actually quivering in his boots at the sight of her and she was going to get him to drop that stupid act.

"Where's Barron?" she asked, looking up at Hale.

His eyes flickered up to her. "Barron? He must be taking over practice with the others. He'll be joining us for supper later tonight."

"Oh, that's sad," she pouted. "I haven't spoken to him in a while. I was looking forward to seeing him today."

Beside her, Madeline stiffened. She slyly looked over to see Madeline gripping her spoon as tightly as she could and the queen was looking at her with burning eyes. Oh yes, that's right. Maybe she shouldn't use Barron. No doubt if she continued the queen wold jab her spoon into Mynera's neck and that wasn't worth the risk. She may be a pampered noble but she was still an angry woman. And they should never be messed with.

Besides, speaking about Barron wasn't working with Saenar anyway. He barely glanced up when she spoke.

Changing tactics, Mynera once again looked over at Hale. "So, Hale," she said, thinking hard one what she was supposed to say. "How did you like the sparring match?"

As soon as she said it, she knew it was the right thing to say since Saenar froze.

Hale's eyes lit up. "I have to admit I didn't think it was a good idea at first," he started.

"Of course you didn't," Ceres interjected. "You thought she was going to lose."

"Precisely," he agreed before he realized the error of his words. "No, I mean, no ... I didn't think she was going to lose ... I just ..."

"Oh, save it," Mynera laughed. "You did think I was going to lose. And I don't blame you. I haven't given anyone any reason to believe I could swordfight."

"I was more surprised when you flipped over him," Madeline jumped in. "That was the highlight of the entire match."

"It was, wasn't it?" Hale agreed instantly. His eyes were sparkling with interest. "I hadn't expected that at all."

Mynera laughed again. "I've learnt a lot while I've been staying here at Arcadia."

"So you mean..."

"Yes," Ceres answered him, her voice held with amusement at his flabbergasted expression. "We all know how to swordfight. Everything Mynera knows she learnt here. In fact, the very food you eat was hunted and cooked by us."

"That is ..."

"Wonderful?" Mynera supplied. "I like to think so. We also know how to use other weapons too. My personal favourite is the bow and arrow. Would you like me to teach you something, Hale? The two of us – alone – can go down to the armory and –"

"All I'm hearing is that you lied to us this entire time," Saenar butted in. His cheek twitched when he looked at her, anger burning in his gaze. For a second she wasn't very clear on whether he was angry at the fact that she 'lied' to him or at all the attention she was giving to Hale.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You've been lying all this time."

Ceres opened her mouth to speak but Mynera held up her hand to ward her off. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I? After everything we've been through to get here, now is the time you want to reveal your skills?"

"I couldn't do so before."

"To put on a show. How convenient."

Mynera flipped her hair, trying to push away her anger and remember that a reaction from him was what she wanted. "What exactly are you getting at, Saenar?"

Before he could answer, Hale jumped in. "Let's not argue in front of our hostesses. Mynera, I would love to take you up on that offer."

She smiled kindly at him, but she could still feel the scorching heat of Saenar's eyes on her. She tried ignoring it but throughout the rest of the meal it was all she could feel. She refused to look at him, but a small part of her reveled in the thought that at least she had gotten him to respond to her, even if it wasn't to what she had wanted in the first place.

--

Hey guys! What did you think of this chapter? I would love to hear your thoughts? Do you think Saenar and Mynera are moving backwards or forward? When do think THIS DAMNED PRINCE WILL JUST STOP ACTING SO HARDHEADED AND KISS THE GIRL ALREADY, MY GOD EVEN I'M PISSED.

Oh, that reminds me, tune in for the next chapter ;)

Love you all xoxo

-Marissa