Jet took a deep breath. He pushed Gideon back and took another look at the lady. I’ve only seen official portraits, but… this is Her Majesty, isn’t it? The first prince’s wife, the duchess consort, soon to be princess consort, Madeline Arecvar!

He glanced at Gideon. You want a stay of execution? Treat her right! Otherwise, forget a stay, she’ll take your head right where we stand!

Gideon glanced at Jet, then at the lady in white. He waggled his brows at Jet and stared at her low-cut dress, then winked at Jet again.

Jet took a deep breath. Giving Gideon a look, he said, “Milady, it is an honor to meet a swan as majestic as yourself. Indeed, you look nearly royal. The swan is truly the queen of the lake.”

She gave him a cold smile and fanned herself slowly with a fluffy, feathered fan. “Mmm.”

Gideon blinked at Jet. He looked at the girl, then at Jet, and frowned.

Jet nodded. Yes! She’s the prince’s wife! Don’t insult her!

Solemnly, Gideon shook his head. “She’s out of your league, Jet. It’s fine to dream, but not while you’re awake.”

Madeline frowned disapprovingly at Jet.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m simply complimenting her costume,” Jet said, glaring Gideon down. Hitting on the prince’s wife? Don’t be ridiculous! There’s no need to drag me down with you!

“I don’t believe I’ve seen you two before,” Madeline said, peering down the nose of her mask at them.

“Of course. It’s a masquerade ball, right?” Gideon said, frowning at her. He leaned toward Gideon. In a stage whisper, he added, “Is she… slow?”

Madeline blushed fiercely. Her nostrils flared. She clacked her fan shut and pointed it at Gideon and Jet, the long feathers trembling.

Jet forced a laugh. “Haha, what a joke! No, White Swan, we’re country nobles, madam, in the city for the ball but not much longer. Of course one as illustrious as yourself wouldn’t recognize us.”

Her expression loosened slightly.

“Eh? I wasn’t joking, though?” Gideon said.

Jet stepped on Gideon’s foot.

“Ow, hey!”

“Oh, over there… our friends are calling us,” Jet said, desperate to leave the conversation before Madeline had them beheaded.

“We came over here to eat. I’m not going back until I’ve eaten. A few squabs aren’t enough to fill my stomach,” Gideon declared. He reached out, pushing past the White Swan, and grabbed a lamb chop dripping in gravy. The gravy splattered as he drew it back to him, dripping down the White Swan’s dress.

Madeline screeched, jolting away, but the damage had been done. Thick brown gravy dripped down the feathers sewn into the dress’s fabric.

Jet licked his lips. He grabbed Gideon and backed away. “Our apologies. Shall we take our leave?”

“Leave? One lamb chop later? Don’t make me laugh! This is a buffet. I’m not leaving until you have to roll me out the door,” Gideon declared, wriggling away from Jet.

“You… uncouth…” Madeline stammered, her eyes bulging.

“Darling, what seems to be the problem?” A man in gold clasped Madeline’s shoulders and gave her a loving smile. Every inch of his outfit glittered, from his jaunty trousers to his long jacket. Even his mask and top hat shone under the candlelight, blinding to the eye.

Jet flinched away. What’s he supposed to be? A gold coin? The sun?

Madeline jabbed her fan at Jet and Gideon. “They—my dress!”

Oh, shit. That’s the first prince, isn’t it? Prince Callan. We’re fucked. Now, our only hope is that Ravenna has enough dirt on him to save our necks.

The man in gold swept his eyes over Gideon and Jet, then snorted. “Darling, it’s the masquerade ball. We ought to look the other way. After all, we’re all equals tonight.”

Madeline took a deep breath and crossed her arms. Still, she glared fiercely at Jet and Gideon.

Gideon looked her up and down, then took a bite of his lamb chop. Mouth full, he declared, “I’m not paying.”

Whap!

The fan slapped across Gideon’s face hard enough to make a satisfying snap. Gideon blinked. He raised his hand to his red cheek, then looked up at Madeline.

Madeline glared back at him, still in the follow-through, her chest heaving and her eyes wide.

Jet nodded, raising his brows in appreciation. A nice, clean slap on Gideon? That felt good, even second-handed.

Gideon looked at his hand, then at Madeline. Disbelievingly, he said, “You… hit me?”

“You deserved it!” Madeline screeched.

“Madeline…” the prince said cajolingly.

“Don’t Madeline me! He deserved it,” Madeline snapped, still glaring at Gideon.

Jet turned away and coughed into his fist. Er… did the two of you forget that you were hiding your identities?

“Deserve it? Me? You’re the one who assaulted me out of nowhere,” Gideon replied, affronted, as if he were in the right.

“You put gravy all over my dress, on purpose!” Madeline returned.

“Huh? Oh… whoops. My bad,” Gideon said insincerely.

Madeline grit her teeth and drew back the fan again.

The prince sighed. He turned his head and nodded at Gideon. “You there, apologize to Madeline.”

Gideon looked at him. “No.”

“There, it’s—no?” the prince asked, taken aback.

Gideon shook his head. “No.”

Flustered, the prince frowned at Gideon. “Apologize, right now. If you don’t, I’ll—”

“Go running to mommy?” Gideon asked mockingly, rolling his eyes.

“Gideon, darling, what’s this?” Ravenna purred from right behind them.

Gideon and Jet both jolted and unconsciously straightened up.

The prince blinked. He stared at Ravenna and took a deep breath, starstruck. “And this is…?”

Ravenna smiled slowly. She raised her scaled, claw-tipped fan to barely cover her chin, almost coy but not quite.

Jet narrowed his eyes at her and shook his head. We don’t need any more Gideons from you either! Stop flirting! Especially stop flirting with the heir apparent!

Ravenna ignored him. She glanced down, then back up, slowly, long, dark lashes shading sapphire blue eyes. The prince caught his breath.

Madeline scowled at the prince and elbowed him, hard.

Blinking, the prince came back to himself. He cleared his throat and ripped his eyes away, jabbing his finger at Gideon again. “You, apologize.”

Gideon looked at Madeline and tutted. “Are you going to let him change the subject like that?”

Madeline turned back and forth between Gideon and the prince, her face growing progressively redder.

A loud crash sounded from across the room. Jet whirled. The assassins?

Blushing, Leo backed away, waving his hands profusely. An overweight lady in a heavy red dress chased after him, her skirts and chest swaying wildly as she charged.

Jet cleared his throat. “Excuse me, if you don’t mind?”

Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed Gideon and dragged the man off into the distance.