The cloud of cigar smoke was so condensed in the inn room that it gave her vision a slight haze and made her nose scrunch, but Lescelli remained standing with her back straight, her chin lifted, and her hands folded in front of her. Her father was chewing on the tip of the cigar with his back turned to her. He was staring out the window into the street below.

He had summoned her a short while ago now, yet he hadn’t uttered a word. She was not keen on breaking the silence, even if she was beginning to feel antsy. Being alone with her father while he was brooding was rarely a pleasant experience.

She shifted her weight from foot to foot and then fell still once more. Whatever they were going to discuss would not be pleasant, so she supposed she may as well hurry things along. "Father, I-"

“It’s been a few days since our arrival,” her father began, cutting her off as though she had not spoken at all. “I am pleased, though surprised, there has not been a single complaint regarding any untoward behaviour from you. You’ve shaken suitors in far less time in the past.”

“I-” Lescelli paused. She wasn’t quite sure how to answer that one diplomatically.

Her hesitation didn’t matter, as her father continued on once more. “However, this will be the absolute last time I hear any whispers of your wildly inappropriate and frivolous behaviours, at a beach or otherwise, am I clear?”

Lescelli gritted her teeth. Of course he knew. Tobin wouldn’t have ratted on her, she knew, but that didn’t mean her father wasn’t having her watched from afar. Though in this case, she imagined it was more likely she was seen from a member of his crew. She scowled. Whomever it was probably couldn’t wait to scurry back and whisper in his ear. They were all obedient rats, performing in hopes of receiving the smallest bite of cheese in reward.

When she failed to respond, her father turned to face her. While his expression remained neutral, his eyes blazed as he stared her down. “Am I clear?” he repeated.

Lescelli gritted her teeth together and raised her chin haughtily. “You are so desperate for me to marry, I would think you would be happy I was out seeking a possible match,” she countered. It was always dangerous and redundant to argue with the man, but it was hard to contain herself sometimes. All she wanted was for him to see her and accept her for who she was and what would make her happy.

“Bite your tongue, Lescelli, before it gets away from you,” her father growled. “There will be no more of this foolish, adolescent behaviour. Like it or not, girl, you will marry a suitable husband and soon. I have been lenient on you, but it will stop now, am I understood?”

His tone forced her to back down. Anything further would be foolish and worsen her situation. She looked away and curled her fingers into fists. “Yes, father.”

Her father hummed in response. He pulled the cigar from his lips and blew a stream of smoke after it. “Good. That being said, the ships will be departing before the first light of dawn.”

Lescelli frowned. That was unusual information given the current circumstance. “We are leaving? Why?”

“I am returning home. There is business I must attend to there. You will be staying here. In fact, I suggest you get used to this land, Lescelli, because you will be remaining indefinitely. Lord Warinford and I have talked extensively about you and his son, and I believe this is the most ideal match that can be made. I am going to accept his proposal.”

Lescelli’s hands curled into fists and she stiffened. The fire in her gut that had been previously snuffed reignited and she shook her head. “I will not marry Tobin Warinford,” she refused. Though she wanted to rage, she forced her tone to remain cold and detached. That way, he could not accuse her of throwing an emotional fit.

“Oh? And why not?” he countered.

Lescelli levelled her gaze with his. “My reasons have not changed, father.”

The man nodded and puffed on his cigar some more. Then he strode past her to the desk and snuffed the butt against the bottom of the glass ashtray. “I will not squander this opportunity to cater to your foolish desires. I have said in the past and I will say so now, I don’t care if you favour men, women, or fairy tales, you are my daughter and you will marry a proper, approved suitor, so unless you can give me a more acceptable reason to refuse this arrangement, you best get used to the idea and fast.”

As he stared her down, Lescelli could only wring her fingers. She had no other reason. For all intents and purposes, her sexuality was the only thing standing in the way. Tobin was a good guy. Awkward, a bit of a dolt at times, but he cared, he listened, and he had a lot of respect for her desires and well-being. He was a touch too eager to please for her liking, but she enjoyed his company and he made a good friend. There was nothing she could say honestly that would convince her father and she would not concoct a story that would cause Tobin harm to weasel a little more time from her own fate.

When she offered up no response, her father nodded. He took a seat at the desk and opened the drawer. Once a fresh cigar had been retrieved and lit, he continued speaking. “That settles it then. You will remain here and continue a proper courting ritual, and when the lad proposes, you will accept. I will return in a few months and I expect to find an engagement band on your finger by the time I do."

“What makes you think he will want to propose to me?” Lescelli countered. “I may have little say in my fate, father, but I certainly do not control his.”

“He will propose because unlike you, he has been well-groomed and respects his family legacy. This is a strong match and it will proceed. And if the boy is reluctant for any reason, it is your job to sway him otherwise. You will not sabotage this, Lescelli. This is your final chance. You will receive no further options. If this engagement falls through, I will return to the original match I arranged for you. I was generous when you begged not to marry the Irbangian prince, but he remains very interested in you. My generosity runs thin. You have a choice between the two, so I suggest you choose wisely.”

Lescelli’s heart constricted in her chest. Prince Entu was an awful man. He was fourth in line with a bitter temper and was nearly double her age. She had been much younger and had less resilience when she had first been introduced to him, but her opinion had not changed. She would end her own life before she would marry a man so openly horrible, who reeked of drink and chased and beat anyone in a skirt.

“I…I understand, father,” she hissed. Her fingers curled into tighter balls until her nails dug into her palms. Tobin wasn’t going to like this any more than she did.

“Good. I suggest you go and pack your things. You and Tobin will be returning to Cardinal city. I imagine you’ll find the change of scenery exciting. And since you’ve proven you can’t be trusted with some leeway, Lord Warinford has arranged for you to be properly guarded. You will go nowhere without his son, Lescelli, and your room will have stationed guards. I will not put any more faith in you when you have squandered it again and again. Freedom is earned. Remember that.”

Lescelli shook her head. “Am I to be a wife or a prisoner?” she protested.

Her father blew another stream of smoke into the air and shrugged. “I think you’ll find that until you show some proper obedience and loyalty, and earn some trust, that there’s no difference between the two. Your actions have led you here, Lescelli and only your choices now will ease your predicament. You have argued that you are no longer a child time and time again. That is true, and I will no longer protect you like one. This is your cage, Lescelli. We all have one. Learn to live with it. Now go. Pack your things and return to your suitor’s side. He will be escorting you to Cardinal tonight.”

There was a lot she wished to say, but none of it would get her anywhere, and at the very least, Lescelli would not have her final moments in her father’s presence spent in a tantrum. She would never earn his respect, but she still had her dignity. So she gathered her remaining scraps of composure and dipped her chin. “As you wish, Captain Rizzetto,” she responded icily before she turned and strode out the door with her fingers fisted in the fabric of her shirt to keep her hands from shaking.

Ever since she was young, she had held onto the hope that her father would someday understand her and want her to be happy, but she was just a commodity to barter in his business deals. He would never see her as anything more, and now she was going to be a reminder of a successful transaction. Her misery would be his accomplishment.

Tears stung in her eyes as she walked briskly down the hall, and she bit at her lip while hoping that the sting would keep them at bay. The last thing she wanted to do was break down and give her father further satisfaction that he had rattled her or that she couldn’t make rational decisions for herself. She wasn’t a child and she hated how crying got her ridiculed for acting like one.

She wasn’t paying attention as she was walking, and was jerked back to her surroundings by two hands pressed against her shoulders. She looked up to find Tobin standing in front of her. She had almost walked into him.

“Lescelli? Are you alright?”

She knew this wasn’t his fault, but looking at him filled her with loathing suddenly, and she shrugged his hands away. “Don’t touch me,” she growled.

Tobin dropped his hands and sighed. “Lescelli, I made you a promise; I intend to keep it. I’m guessing you got the same lecture that I did, but it won’t happen.”

Lescelli stared at him and a lot of her anger died. It wasn’t Tobin’s fault and he was resisting as best he could. For a brief moment, that sparked a bit of terror in her heart and she felt incredibly selfish. He wanted to marry someone who would love him, but he was now the better of two options for her. She had no doubts that her father would make good on his threat if Tobin refused to propose and Lescelli would have to make a very calculated move to escape her predicament without caving to what was easiest.

But the easiest route condemned him too, and she had been quite harsh with him about her feelings about that option. It made her feel even worse and she failed to keep her tears at bay any longer as they finally began to spill over. She covered her mouth to smother a sob and looked away. Great.

“Lescelli?”

She only shook her head. She didn’t trust herself to try speaking right now.

Tobin shifted his weight she heard him sigh. There was a moment where only her poorly muffled sniffles kept the silence at bay. And then Tobin offered out the crook of his arm towards her. “Milady, please allow me to escort you back to your room.”

Lescelli glanced up at him with a frown as he spoke. She didn’t care for being referred to as ‘milady’ ever and he knew that, but his tone had turned distant and when she examined him, she noticed that he was gazing past her. She wasn’t sure if whoever it was worked for his father or hers, but they were definitely being watched and Tobin was merely trying to get her out of the exposed hallway.

She took a shaky breath and linked her arm through his. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Tobin hummed but he didn’t say anything more as he walked her back to her room.

Once they were behind a closed door, Lescelli slipped her arm free and sunk into the nearest chair with a heavy sigh. She swiped aggressively at a few of the tears still rolling down her cheeks. She always hated showing weakness. It either got her coddled or ridiculed depending on the person it happened in front of.

As Tobin crouched in front of her with a grim expression on her face, she anticipated the former. “Do you want to talk about it?” he pressed.

She sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I just need a minute.”

“Take your time.”

Lescelli watched as he settled in on the floor. She hadn’t been expecting him to just accept that. Still, it was a nice change of pace to not be pressed. She took a few breaths and swallowed back her emotions. They would do her no good right now. She needed to be focused and rational. Panicking would only lead to rash choices and she couldn’t afford to do anything stupid with so much on the line. She just hated that she had been forced into this situation. But she wasn’t quite ready to face her reality just yet. All she really wanted to do was stall, and Tobin was still sitting there patiently. “What uh…what did you hear about in your ‘lecture’, then?”

Tobin shrugged. “The usual spiel really. About responsibility and duty and family loyalty. My father made it very clear he wants our union to go through and I’m expected to make it happen as soon as possible. But I have no interest in pressuring you into a marriage neither of us wants. I know you think I fold pretty easily to my father – and perhaps I do – but not on this. You don’t have to worry. Did your father say about the same?”

Lescelli pursed her lips and shook her head. “No…no, uh, he gave me an ultimatum. A pretty crappy one.”

“What did he say?”

She took a breath and shrugged. “That our fathers have already agreed and made the arrangements and I have no choice. That if I somehow manage to sabotage things or can’t convince you to propose, then I’ll be locked into the first pairing he tried to set up for me years ago.”

“That would be worse?” Tobin checked.

She nodded. “Yeah. A lot worse.”

Tobin blew out a breath and leaned back on his hands. His gaze directed upwards, so Lescelli just sat in silence while he thought. “What are you going to do?”

Lescelli shook her head. “I have no idea.”

Tobin sighed. “I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately,” he stated. Lescelli’s brows furrowed. She wasn’t sure how that was relevant to their conversation, but Tobin continued on before she could ask him about it. “About your culture. It’s not so different from ours here, but there is a notable hierarchy difference. Your people consider the wealthiest and most successful enterprise as an unofficial ruler in an otherwise lacking government. I’m assuming that came to pass during one of the first wars when your nobility was decimated and the next closest thing to power was the shipping corporation. They made a law though that no individual could hold power over the dominant company for more than twenty years. So your father either has to pass on his company to another or step down from power entirely.”

Lescelli rolled her eyes. “Tobin, what’s your point? I know all of this already, remember?”

Tobin shrugged. “I just wanted to make sure I had it all right. But in our particular situation…your father refuses to pass power on to you because of your gender – which is wrong – but he doesn’t have a son and isn’t going to just step down from the company that’s been in your family for three generations now, even if you’ve only been in power for two. That’s why he’s determined to marry you off and I think I know why I’m his ideal candidate.”

“Why?” Lescelli pressed.

“Because he thinks what you believed; that I’m obedient and raised to bow to my father. I was raised with lessons in strategy and tactile thinking, but none of it translates to the shipping and trading business. Your father is hoping that by passing power to me, he’ll have a puppet to continue his agenda, while my father believes it’s an ideal way to gain control over another territory for the same reason, with the exception that I’ll remain loyal to him and you’ll be rendered powerless. But they’re both wrong; I have no interest in having the rest of my life controlled too.”

“Greedy bastards,” Lescelli hissed. She hadn’t considered it, but Tobin was right. This was, and always would be, an epic power struggle between countries.

Tobin nodded and reached out to place one of his hands over hers. “Can I suggest something without you immediately getting mad and shooting it down?”

“What?”

“Let’s give them what they want on our own terms. You said yourself that you’re backed into a corner and that your father is going to force you to marry either me or someone worse than me, and my father has made it clear that failure is not an option. As his only child, once I’m married, I take control of his title, so he’s spent his life ensuring that I’ll submit to him so he can stay in power. They both want me to propose and you to accept. So let’s get married on our own terms.”

Lescelli clenched her fists and sighed. “I don’t see how we can have our own terms when neither of us wishes to marry the other,” she pointed out.

Tobin inclined his head. “That’s because you’re looking at it as a life sentence. Your father has less than a year before he has no choice but to step down, and mine will have to transfer full power to me once I’m married. Let's go back to Cardinal, play nice for a few weeks so they buy that I’ve fallen for you and you’ve caved. Say ‘yes’ when the time comes, endure a ceremony and the single time I’ll have to kiss you, and we both play along for a year. In that time, we’ll be married only in title. You’ll have your own room and your freedom, and once my father is no longer in a position to stop us, we’ll be amicably divorced and I’ll surrender your father’s company to you. After that, you can go home, lead it better, and we’ll remain allies.”

When he fell silent, Lescelli pursed her lips and drummed her fingers against her opposite arm. She didn’t care for the idea – hated it, really – but she had to give him credit that it was well planned out. “You’ve put some thought into this.” She hadn’t meant the comment to sound accusing, but the way Tobin flushed and held up his hands spoke volumes.

“I would never break a promise to you, Lescelli. I always keep my word. But with my father breathing down my neck about this, I started to worry they would find a way to back us into a corner. I started considering ‘escape’ plans, and this one feels the least risky,” he elaborated. He pushed himself into a more upright sitting position and offered her a rue smile. “But I would never want to cross any of your boundaries. I respect your preferences in romantic partners and I hope if we are forced to enact a plan like this that you’ll still have the opportunity to indulge those preferences – I won’t stand in your way or expect any loyalty in a false relationship; I just want to remain friends in the end.”

It was a fair request and not one that was hard to agree to. Tobin was a good guy – certainly more respectful and kind than any of her previous suitors – and she did enjoy his company, she just didn’t have any feelings for him. The idea of getting married – of allowing her father to win – and having to wear a dress and a ring and go through all the steps symbolic of a permanent union to a guy and to someone she viewed as a platonic friend, made her gut squeeze. She really didn’t want to exchange vows or a kiss, or have to go through the motions pretending to be in love – or at least behave like a loyal wife – but she knew Tobin was just as penned in as she was, and she didn’t see any immediate alternatives.

“I don’t like it,” she admitted finally. “But I think you’re right that we don’t have many other choices.”

“So you want to do it?”

Lescelli shrugged. “No, but I’m going to,” she decided. “I mostly just don’t like that it’s so self-sacrificing on your part. I’m screwed either way, but you’re not. You could still find someone else that you love, even if Lanna doesn’t come around. But I’m sure she just needs some time.”

“I’m just as caged, Lescelli. I have no more say than you do. If at the very least, I can help a friend and get back at my father in the process, I’m more than happy to do it. Besides, I don’t think Lanna is going to change her mind. She was quite adamant. I really goofed that up, didn’t I?”

Lescelli shrugged. She pushed herself out of the chair and patted some creases out of her pants. She wanted to encourage him; her life had given her a soft spot for dreams, especially romantic ones, and Tobin deserved to be happy, but she wasn’t sure what to say; he really had made a mess of things for himself. “You did kind of rip away the one hope she seemed to have. It has to be hard for her, not knowing where she’s from like that.”

Tobin winced. “I know, but I couldn’t say nothing. She would have sailed to a death trap if she’d managed it.”

“I know. I just think there was perhaps a more delicate way to go about it, is all.”

Tobin sighed and rubbed the nape of his neck. “You’re probably right,” he relented. “Damn, I really just wanted…”

“I know,” Lescelli acknowledged. “You weren’t trying to be malicious. I’m sure Lanna knows that. I get this feeling there’s more to the story than she’s telling us.”

“You think so?”

“You didn’t notice how tense she got the moment you mentioned dragons?”

“Do you think that might have been what happened to her family? That dragons were…how they died? Oh no, Lescelli…I really screwed up.”

Lescelli shrugged. “You didn’t know, and she seemed to like you too, so I’m sure she’ll come around. I’d give her another couple of days to cool off and then we can come back and you can try again if you like.”

“Maybe,” Tobin relented.

Lescelli pursed her lips. It really was a shame how things had unfolded. Tobin had genuinely seemed to like Lanna and she had struck Lescelli as the type of girl who needed a friend or two, but she hoped that there was still a chance for them.

She’d only known Tobin for about two weeks, but she considered him a good friend and at the very least, he respected her boundaries and made her laugh and tried to help her. She didn’t like seeing him so downtrodden over something that really wasn’t his intention or fault. She needed to cheer him up or at least distract him for a bit.

“Do you have to pack stuff?” she asked.

Tobin shook his head. “I’ve known a little longer. I would have warned you, but I’ve been in and out of ‘meetings’ with them over it all.”

Lescelli nodded. This was the first time today she had even seen Tobin. She wasn’t surprised that they had kept him busy in order to blindside her. She hated that her father knew well enough by now to take precautions and give her no warning or time to look for a loophole.

She picked up one of the duffles she had brought with her and tossed it to Tobin. “Well here, help me then. I don’t know how far Cardinal is from here, but it’s already getting late. We should leave as soon as possible.”

“Gladly,” Tobin agreed.

With his help, packing went quickly and smoothly, and it wasn’t long before Lescelli was setting the last of three bags down in the inn lobby. “So, how are we travelling?” she asked. “You said you came here by train, right?”

“Yes, but my father has arranged alternate transportation for the two of us,” Tobin replied.

“That sounds a little ominous.”

“Actually, you might find it rather interesting.” Tobin leaned down and reclaimed two of Lescelli’s bags. He jerked his head back across the lobby. “Come on, we have to go out the back.”

Lescelli scowled as she pulled the third bag back up onto her shoulder. “Then why did we pile this stuff over here?” she huffed.

Tobin’s snort of amusement caused her scowl to deepen. It didn’t deter him, however, as he proceeded to wink at her and shrug his shoulders nonchalantly. There was an impish grin on his lips as he responded. “You tell me. You’re the one who made a beeline over here before I could say anything.”

Lescelli pursed her lips and glanced away. She supposed she’d had a bit of tunnel vision on the way down from her room. While Cardinal represented a cage, it was also far away from her father and right now, that was where she most wanted to be. “Sorry about that,” she relented.

Tobin said nothing as he led her out the back entrance of the inn and onto the cobblestone street. It was dark and a little windy, but not an unpleasant evening. The area was filled with a distant, but frantic barking and Lescelli supposed someone’s hound had gotten loose. As long as it didn’t try to bother them, she wasn’t concerned.

Waiting for them on the street was a vehicle. Lescelli had seen cars before, though they were less common back home. Her father had a few, but she was never allowed to learn to drive one like she had been allowed to learn to sail, so she had little idea of how they worked. This one was chrome-hued and shiny, as though it had never been driven before. The tires were large and had deep grooves, while a little red light emanated from the back end.

“A car isn’t all that impressive.” She waved a hand in dismissal. “I don’t see the driver though. Unless you know how to operate it? I’ve never driven before.”

Tobin shook his head. He stepped forward and he must have done something – though Lescelli didn’t see what exactly – because the vehicle beeped and the trunk popped open. Tobin set her two bags inside, alongside one that was already there. His, she presumed. She slung her final bag into the back and stepped back as Tobin pulled the trunk shut. “It drives itself,” he finally explained.

“That’s a bit cooler,” Lescelli admitted. She had no idea how a car could drive itself without hitting anyone or anything, but his father wouldn’t be sending them in it if it wasn’t safe. He wouldn’t risk his son that way for no good reason and her father wouldn’t stand for an unnecessary risk on her life either.

“They’re expensive, so they’re not often used, but my father is pulling out some extra luxuries to impress you.”

Lescelli rolled her eyes but grinned. She was impressed, just a little, but she wasn’t going to openly admit it. “I’ve heard about your cities and I’ve always wanted to visit one. I’m going to miss being this close to the water though. I’ve never spent any prolonged time inland before.”

Tobin left her side to pull open one of the back doors and then he gestured inside. “After you,” he offered. “Let’s find out if the city holds up to any of your expectations.”

“It had better after all the trouble I’ve been through,” Lescelli laughed.

She took a step forward but got no further as something slammed into her back and knocked her off her feet. She wasn’t a helpless scrap, but skinning herself on the cobblestone took the wind out of her and she groaned as she pushed herself up and rolled onto her butt to see what had struck her.

Her eyes widened and her heart stalled in her chest as she froze up. Behind her, she heard Tobin’s stunned gasp and knew she wasn’t imagining what she was seeing.