Brendan stared at the closed doors of the Viscount’s estate flatly. Mr. Levin stood behind him and sniffed indignantly as the summer sun singed the back of their necks.

They continued to stand and wait, the only sound that reached them was the sound of crashing waves far below, and the Troivackian King couldn’t help but feel his ire grow.

Then, when he was just about to pound on the damn door yet again, it swung open and once the solid barrier had been removed, he could hear the cacophony of shrieks and door slamming from within the keep before the Viscount himself slipped out and closed the door behind himself. Wearing only a cream tunic and pale brown trousers, it’d be easy to mistake him for a peasant.

“Good morning, Your Majesty,” Fin greeted with a strained smile. “What brings you to our home?”

“Viscount, why does it sound like your entrance is a den of horrors?” Brendan asked slowly.

"Ah… well… my apologies. It is the reason our house steward couldn’t invite you in. You see… erm… Duke Iones… well… he is staying with us while here in Austice and his wife and children arrived late last night…” Fin rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes lost to a traumatic memory.

It was then the Troivacakian King noted the bags under the man’s eyes.

“Why does that equate to… that,” Brendan nodded towards the keep as Fin pressed his hands into his pocket and stepped further out onto the stone landing.

“Ah… well… Lady Iones wasn’t originally supposed to come… however, she discovered an old notebook of the Duke’s that happened to… contain sketches and sonnets regarding an old love of the Duke’s.”

No sooner had the Viscount said the words when the sound of shattering glass interrupted.

Brendan’s hand was on the hilt of his sword immediately as his head snapped to attention towards the broken window on his left side.

Fin didn’t even bother batting an eye as he slowly began descending the steps towards the gravel drive.

“Would you perhaps like to see the stables, Your Majesty?” he asked pleasantly.

Brendan stared at the ground where what looked like a suit of armor’s helmet lay amongst the shards before looking to Mr. Levin who appeared every bit as stunned. Finlay Ashowan however, had already begun striding towards the stables. Were it not for his brisk pace, a casual observer would have thought that he was unaffected by the chaos behind him.

Eventually returning to their senses, the Troivackians followed the Viscount to the stables that had been carved further into the cliffside along the side of the keep. The rock was damp from the sea mist, and yet also blissfully cool outside of the summer sun.

“So what brings you by?” the Viscount called over his shoulder while nodding a greeting to the stablehands who were walking away with empty feed buckets.

“I wanted to talk with you about a few things. The first of which being Prince Eric Reyes.”

Fin stopped in his tracks, and slowly turned back around, his expression no longer at ease, but guarded.

He studied the Troivackian King for a long moment before his eyes moved to his assistant, Mr. Levin.

“If I could please have a private word with His Majesty.”

The assistant raised an eyebrow, the briefest flash of hostility moving through his eyes before he bowed and retreated back several steps.

Fin noted this reaction, but returned his gaze to the King all the same.

“Does this have anything to do with the meeting I had with the Princess yesterday?” the Viscount queried calmly.

“Somewhat. Even you must admit that there needs to be answers about the Prince sooner or later, especially as it affects the Princess’ decision about her future.”

Fin’s eyebrows shot up as a faint smile began curling the corners of his mouth.

“You really want to marry her, don’t you?”

Brendan couldn’t imagine why he felt his cheeks growing red.

“Well… I must admit, Your Majesty, so far, I have grown to really respect you for how you treat the Princess. I worried when you first tried to tell her you would marry, but I can tell now how special she has become to you.”

“She is going to be an appropriate Queen. Of course I should-”

“She’s going to be your wife, Your Majesty. Someone who will love you completely, and someone you will have to love completely back.”

“Love has nothing to do with ruling the country together.” Brendan didn’t know why his throat was growing tight. “It is not the same in Troivack as it is in-”

“You said you wanted to change that though. You said you didn’t want women to be the same as they are in Troivack anymore,” Fin pointed out while slowly crossing his arms.

Brendan balked.

He had no idea what to say to that.

Was love really so necessary to Daxarian women?

As far as he understood things, there were arranged marriages still occurring in both kingdoms, so why was there such an expectation?

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Your Majesty. From what I can see, it won’t be an issue between you two.” Fin’s eyes glittered with good humor.

Once again, there was that strange heat spreading into Brendan’s face that he didn’t understand.

Clearing his throat with a grunt, Brendan did his best to regain control of himself as he fixed the Viscount with a firm stare.

“Viscount, who are you protecting by hiding the Prince?”

This time Fin’s smile didn’t fully collapse at the mention of the missing royal.

“Would you believe me if I said I’m just trying to buy time?”

Brendan’s eyes widened. “Buy time for what?”

Fin sighed, his chin dropping to his chest.

Brendan didn’t know why, but he felt being more open with the infamous house witch might help. “I made the Princess a vow on my honor that I would bring her brother back for our wedding.”

Fin’s head snapped up, his astonishment clear before he closed his eyes in a grimace and raised his hand to his face in obvious distress.

“He was going to miss her wedding?” Brendan demanded angrily. “Regardless of how it would harm his sister and father?”

Fin kept rubbing his eyes for a moment before dropping his hand to his side, and looking up tiredly at the King.

“Look, I don’t know that he will be able to. You should not have promised something so wildly outside of your control."

“I will drag him if I need to,” Brendan growled, not liking the chastising tone the Viscount was taking with him.

Fin let out an aggravated noise before throwing his hands in the air. “When do you propose you get married, hm? I thought you would be returning to Troivack with the Princess to be wedded and have her crowned soon. Finding the Prince could take-”

“We’re getting married in Daxaria. In a year.”

Fin blinked in silence for a moment.

“I have heard nothing about such plans. In fact, last I heard, the King was adamantly trying to end your engagement.”

“The Princess needs time to learn how to run a country. A year should suffice to give her an understanding of the basics, as well as time to refine her knowledge on the Troivackian customs. We’ll wed in Daxaria because I think it means more to her than it does to me. Though my vassals will expect her to be bearing the next King by the time we return…” Brendan trailed off as he realized his heart was beating faster at the thought of Alina facing down the long row of shrewd, traditional Troivackian nobles… and scrutinized in every way… her teasing smile fading away to nothing as she would be subjected to-

“-jesty! Your Majesty, are you alright?”

The Viscount’s voice broke through Brendan’s spiraling thoughts.

“You’ve gone pretty pale, are you feeling well? I know that the notion of breaking a vow of honor can be-”

“Viscount, do you think the Princess will be happy in Troivack?”

The King hadn’t even realized the words had left his lips until he noticed the Lord’s stunned reaction.

“Well, if what she says about wanting to rule is true… then I imagine she would be, though it will most likely be hard, and lonely.”

Brendan shifted as he suddenly recalled another important matter he had been meaning to discuss with the Viscount.

“I want your daughter to join the Princess in Troivack for a year.”

The Viscount’s expression hardened. “I beg your pardon?”

“Your daughter needs discipline, and we can provide that for her. Not to mention the abilities her magic has given her would make her an exemplary-”

“No.”

Fin’s icy tone made the Troivackian King go still.

“Don’t you wish to discuss it with the Viscountess and your daughter before-”

“No.”

The Viscount didn’t say another word as he strode purposefully by the King, his eyes gaining that magical glint that in that situation looked more than a little menacing.

“I will not reveal your wife is a spy, and even let her keep one informant,” Brendan called after him, his fist curled at his side.

Fin halted in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder, his facial features like marble, but he said nothing as he then continued on his way passing by Mr. Levin who had been waiting out of earshot.

When the Troivackian King joined his assistant’s side, the man didn’t have to ask to know that the discussion had not gone smoothly.

“Let’s go,” was all Brendan said as his assistant turned to the nearest stablehand, and ordered their horses to be resaddled.

However, aside from gaining no new information about the Prince, and his suggestion to bring Katarina Ashowan with them to Troivack being shot down, there had been something even more troubling that the meeting with the Viscount had brought to light…

What if the Princess was miserable in Troivack? What if she grew to resent him? What if she failed to conceive a child and was subjected to having to choose Brendan's mistress in order for him to bear an heir by the other nobles…

The scenarios made the King's stomach roil.

Then the final question crossed his mind that made his mood blacken instantly.

Was Troivack really going to ever change enough to be worthy of her?

***

Annika leaned back into her chair in the solar, her brow furrowed and her arms crossed. Fin had just finished recounting his conversation with the Troivackian King, and there was a good deal to think about.

“If he’s bringing up bargaining about my spying then that means he either isn’t as certain as he thought he was about me, or… he has plans for Katarina in his army… perhaps he intends to turn her against me.”

Fin’s jaw was clenched as his gaze remained fixed on the floor. Despite the keep gaining quiet once again, he was not feeling peaceful in any way.

“Or the third option of him wanting to try and keep Alina happy. I think he is genuinely afraid of bringing her to Troivack now that he is developing an attachment to her.”

“Do you think he will try to break off the engagement to protect her?” Annika asked with an amused smile.

“He could if he ends up falling in love with her.”

Annika laughed, drawing her husband’s troubled gaze upwards, only seeing his wife in a good mood immediately warmed his features.

“You’re making him sound like you.”

Fin grinned. “What can I say, men become fools when they fall in love with pretty girls. All we want is the absolute best for them.”

The Viscountess smiled at her husband, her warm brown eyes still filled with nothing but love for him. “Well, we shall see. He is a duty bound man. You were lacking a good deal of ambition before I came along.”

Fin chuckled. “Yes, dear.”

Annika looked to her lap, her brows slowly lowering as she studied the gold rings on her fingers.

“I think she should go with them.”

The Viscount’s levity disappeared instantly. “You what?”

“I think she should go to Troivack and be with Alina. Not for forever… just a year.”

Rising to his feet immediately, Fin’s shimmering blue eyes regarded his wife in a way that made her stomach flip. “We are not sending her there. She could get hurt, or attacked, or-”

“She needs the chance to grow up, Fin. I think that’s why she has been struggling so much. She needs to be responsible for herself in a place that isn’t going to cater to her impulses.”

“Then we can send her to Sorlia with Harris, we do not need to-”

“Fin, you know they’ll dote on her the same way we do. Doesn’t it tell you something that both of our children haven’t found their familiars here? You were the one who told me that once a witch found where they were meant to be, their familiar would appear.”

“It could also be a situation that draws out their familiar,” Fin ground out irritably.

“They can’t be our babies forever, and you know it. Give me one good reason we should let things continue on as they are,” Annika demanded, her dark eyes sharp.

For a tense moment, neither of them spoke as they stared at each other angrily.

“We will ask Kat, and go from there. Can we agree on that much?” Fin demanded, a strange rasp in his throat appearing that Annika heard, and immediately felt her heart ache.

“Fine… we will talk to our daughter about this.”

Putting his hands on his hips and his gaze moving to the windows, Fin tried to swallow past the lump forming in his throat, when he felt the familiar comforting embrace of his wife around his waist.

“One way or another, we’re always family, Fin. None of us are ever going to stop being a part of our home. I promise.”