Anya was walking down the hall towards the sitting room when she saw Lady Daphne exit. The lady smiled at her and said, "You might want to wait a bit. They're busy right now. Have you seen Sir Thomas recently?"

"My apologies, I'm afraid not," Anya said carefully.

"A pity. I'll just have to search him out myself. Good day," Lady Daphne said breezily and she wandered down the hall, a glaring contrast to the general bustling mania of the castle inhabitants.

Anya was not sure whether she should interrupt her lady or not. Missus White had sent her there to see to Lady Theresa and ignoring the housekeeper's orders might get her in trouble. Anya also might be in trouble if she interrupted the lord and the lady's reunion.

She decided to move closer and then decide, which would surely fulfill both duties.

The door remained slightly open. Anya could hear Lady Theresa's voice. "I'm glad that you're back, Lord Keaton. I was most worried."

"You hardly needed to be. You know that I was simply out on the king's business," he said lightly.

"I also know that the king's business is unlikely to be simple."

"But it is," he repeated lightly.

"Or safe. I was talking to Jim and—"

Lord Wildwood interrupted her. "Jim told you what I was doing was dangerous?"

"No, he's irritatingly loyal to you. But I'm not a fool, Wildwood! I can read between the lines. You don't know what it is like not knowing what you are doing or where you are."

Anya heard Lord Wildwood sigh. "I know you are not a fool, my lady. But I think it's safer—"

"So you are doing something dangerous!" Lady Theresa cried. "I thought that you never used to have much to do with the king! Why is it that now he suddenly wants you to be running around doing dangerous errands?"

"Lady Theresa, the political situation has been growing increasingly dire the last few years. No doubt you were sheltered from that while being controlled by Lady Francine, but there are spies and plots in abundance. I had remained out of it, but our journey to the capital brought us into the spotlight. The king was reminded that I am a valuable ally. He knows I'm loyal and he saw my power."

"A pity, that," she said dryly.

Lord Wildwood continued. "I can hardly turn my back on my king or my cousin in their time of need. I can't imagine what Her Majesty would do if something happened to the king."

"She would be devastated."

"I know how I would feel if I lost you," he said. The monster of guilt resumed its dreadful gnawing at Anya's heart.

Lady Theresa laughed. "You're not going to sidetrack me with sweet talk, Wildwood. Just tell me what you have been doing."

Lord Wildwood sighed. "Very well. I've been using my abilities to spy on a few suspicious lords as well as setting up information networks and all manners of other uninteresting work. I've found out nothing of interest and it is a rather frustrating ordeal. I spent every moment wishing that I could just come back to you."

"Then I'll go with you the next time."

"You most certainly will not."

"I most certainly will. The only way you kept me here was with that nonsense about preparing the wedding. As if Missus White could not have handled it! You know as well as I that she is dreadfully competent," Lady Theresa said begrudgingly.

"Most women enjoy that sort of thing."

"Picking out the color of flowers and what sort of ribbon and all other sorts of ultimately meaningless tasks? That's all well and good and perhaps most women might enjoy that, although there are no doubt many exceptions even then, but either way you should know that I would not settle for that, Wildwood!"

"I already know that you're not like most women, or I would not be marrying you. And when will you stop calling me that? It's most deplorable for a lady." His voice sounded amused rather than truly chiding.

"I'll stop forgetting to address you properly when you stop making me worried or angry. Which probably means never," she retorted.

"I suppose not."

"So it's settled. I'm coming with you then," Lady Theresa said with severe finality.

Lord Wildwood spoke gently. "I'm not going anywhere for a time. We'll talk about it then."

"I'm weary of worrying about you."

"I have something for you."

Anya heard rustling, and heard Lady Theresa gasp. "It's beautiful!"

"I thought you would like it." Lord Wildwood sounded satisfied. "It's not only beautiful, but also functional."

"You're very sweet.  Although if you think you can distract me from the matter at..."

There was nothing but silence coming from the room. Anya was relatively certain Lady Theresa had no need of her for a time. She walked away silently.

Anya decided to go back to her room. Her first glimpse of Lord Wildwood had been terrifying, although his affection for her lady lent him a humanity she may not have otherwise observed.

Still, she had no idea how she might actually destroy him. Thorne had thought that Lord Wildwood would underestimate her. She hoped that he was right.  Perhaps he would underestimate what he perceived to be a wizardress servant more than he would a wizard.

She hoped.

Anya understood that she would have to act quickly. Not only had Thorne impressed upon her the need for haste, she had to act before her conscience panged her too much or tripped up and exposed herself.

Or, worst of all, before Lord Wildwood firmly ingrained himself as anything but a spoiled noble in her mind.

She had already, foolishly, begun to see the lady that she was serving as a person. She could not afford to compound the issue by truly seeing Lord Wildwood as a fellow human, or worse, as a good man that the world could be worse without.

She feared that was exactly what he was, but she could not think about it. No matter how good he was, the lives of Kallie and Damani hung in the balance. Surely the lives of two children were worth more than the life of one man.

She knew that lives could not be equated so easily. But she did not have conceivable way to get herself out of Thorne's trap.

* * * * *

As Anya walked she made a list in her mind of ways that she could go about her task. As Thorne had suggested, she could simply strip the magic out of Lord Wildwood.

It would be a terrible way to die for any man, but likely more horrifying for one with so much power. He would have time to feel it draining, until finally his life gave out.

Just overhearing the private conversation between him and Lady Theresa had robbed Anya of any will to perform such an invasive act upon him. It was bad enough that she would kill him. At least she could do it in a way that would cause little pain.

There were other simpler and more merciful ways to do it so that he would not have to feel his essence being stolen. She knew there were herbs that contained magic to do amazingly good things. She also knew there were herbs that could work great evil for one who knew what they were.

Anya knew many, ironically from her years of learning what to avoid, what not to do, how not to harm.

All she needed to do was discard her every desire to help and maintain life.  Then she merely would use the inverse of her knowledge in the service of death.

Thorne has truly grasped the extent of her abilities with his calculating mind.

For merely off the top of her head, she could think of several ways to kill a man.

She could make a simple but effective mundane poison.  There were many plants which had poisonous properties that she could undoubtedly find nearby, but she had no experience with such matters.

She could make a potion that would cause his lungs to paralyze until he simply suffocated, but it seemed an agonizing way to die.

She could as paralyze his body with the potion she had always maintained for her own self-defense and cut his throat at her leisure while he lay prone, although she was loath to turn a potion intended for protection into a murderous weapon.

She could create a potion that might make him so unhappy that he would simply destroy himself.  Anya considered that. Thorne had preferred Lord Wildwood's death to appear as an accident. If he killed himself surely that would fulfill the requirements. Perhaps it would be the best way. Anya would still have his blood on her hands, but...

"Anya! I've been looking for you."

"Oh, Hanna. I was looking for you as well," Anya lied, feeling a bit out of sorts at the cheerful voice.

"About a dress?" she asked.

"Yes," Anya agreed, trying to sound excited by the prospect.

"There is one that I believe will be perfect on you. Come with me," Hanna said, taking Anya by the arm. Anya had little choice but to follow.

* * * * *

Hanna and Anya went not to Lady Theresa's wardrobe, but to a smaller room off to the side. It seemed to be a room specifically for the personal lady's maid for the marchioness.

She supposed it where Hanna resided and Anya was thankful that Hanna was already occupying it.  Had Hanna not been there, Anya would probably been expected to stay so close.  It had two exits, one into the lady's chamber and the second leading into the hall.

Hanna helped Anya get into the dress that was already picked out. It was well made and tastefully plain. It was odd to have someone help her dress, because Anya had always had practical garments that she was able to handle easily enough on her own. Having the need for someone to help her was terribly awkward.

"You look wonderful," Hanna told her.

"It fits?" Anya asked, hoping that she would be spared from enduring the process a second time.

"It fits perfectly. I have an eye for these things. Come take a look at yourself in our lady's mirror. She won't mind."

Anya was led into Lady Theresa's room and she stood before the mirror. She looked like a stranger dressed in fine clothing.

"Do you like it?"

If she did not agree she might just have to let Hanna help her into another dress.

"Yes," she agreed dutifully.

She really did not want to go to the ball at all. She would be as out of place among wizards and nobles as a duck in a stewing pot. It might appear to belong there but it was undoubtedly not a wholesome place for the duck.

"Will you need help getting ready on the day of the wedding?" Hanna offered tentatively.

"I suppose I do." She supposed if she was going to be wearing the dress of a noblewoman she would have the same difficulties with dressing herself as they did.

On a whim, Anya added, "I can do the same for you." She figured it would probably make the other maid happy.

Hanna smiled. "If it is not too much."

"Not at all."

"I'll just ensure that this choice is fine with Lady Theresa, but I am sure that it is."

Hanna helped Anya change back and Anya retreated to her room to scheme and plot.

* * * * *

Anya lay on her bed and thought about making a depression potion. She did not have all the ingredients on hand for such a delicate task, but she felt sure that she could find them.

She imagined Wildwood becoming so melancholy that he would end his own life. He would be terribly unhappy for a short time, but he would probably feel relief afterwards. Lady Theresa, on the other hand, would probably wonder what she had done wrong for the rest of her life.

Besides that, it would perhaps be odd that a happily newly married man would kill himself. It would raise questions.

So would mundane poison, but at least Lady Theresa would be able to rage rather than feel guilt.

Anya ran through her memories of plants she had seen growing in the forests around Wildwood, considering and discarding each candidate.

She recalled seeing long flowers of angel's trumpet growing in the woods. She had never found them growing in her own forest and had initially disregarded them because their magic properties were weak and virtually useless, not to mention difficult to predict.

At the time, she had overlooked one important quality. At every stage of growth, they were poisonous.

Anya was certain she could make a poisonous mixture through the use of her magic, although she never had before. It would be easier than refining the poison from the plant, but there was a significant downfall with using magic.

There was the possibility that one of the many wizards would notice that Wildwood's drink had been tampered with before it reached his lips.  They seemed oblivious to her sort of magic, but overconfidence could be her downfall.

Once they discovered someone had used magic on the lord, everyone would be on their guard. She would have only one chance to make an attempt while they were unaware.

Why not something presumably undetectable to all the wizards in her midst?  If a mundane poison were somehow discovered, the number of potential suspects would be many times greater than potential magic wielding attempted assassins.

Finally decided, Anya would collect the flowers as soon as it was possible the next day. Putting it off would only make it harder.

He had to die before she was too weak to bring herself to act.

* * * * *