They were at banquet once more and Chammielle was of low appetite.

Will had told her he loved her.

He'd kissed her playfully in his office, teased her so, and then told her he loved her and kissed her unlike she'd ever been kissed before. It had been sweet, full of emotion, and held a deep and abiding passion that remained on her lips and her mind. A knock had come shortly after and the Duke had broken the moment, but she could not forget.

If he loved her, did she love him?

She respected him. His character, his work ethic, how he cared for his subjects, his understanding of her desire to wait, the way he cared for her and let her take the lead when they were alone... All of it. She admired him more and more.

But was it love?

She spied her sisters sitting at table with her parents. Sir Jacob Rose was off duty and seated with them. Chryssia could not be moved to release him from her gaze.

She didn't think she could do that. William was charming, handsome, teased her incessantly, and his dimple drew her eye whenever it was on display. But stare at him without even a pause? It seemed so childish.

She turned to peer at him as he spoke with a foreign dignitary who'd come up to speak of a trade agreement along with his well-wishing. He'd introduced himself to the both of them, an Archduke from Herz. A small nation that used to be part of Garten but had become independent over a century ago. Now the two of them spoke quietly, without her.

Will's outline was stark and crisp against the low lighting. The paleness of his skin let the rosiness into his face at all the right points. His cheeks, his nose, his mouth. ... Especially his mouth. And then it was wrapped about in the swirling thundercloud of night that was his hair. And despite all the severity in his features, he was as playful as the wind.

She watched him a while, trying to feel something more than she already felt. Her heartbeat remained steady, her breathing calm. She was not so entirely enamoured with him as the two lovebirds at her family's table. It felt wrong somehow.

She decided to listen to their conversation instead.

"...my people are in need of a good many supplies that the kingdom is deficient in."

"So you've said, Archduke, but you had this same proposal last year. The rights to fishing the coast of your lands may be valuable, but the way there could prove treacherous."

Herz was nearly a sixth the size of Garten, with only one major city and several more prominent provencale villages surrounding. It was on the coast though, while Garten was land locked. A range of mountains divided the two nations, and the road through was infested with thieves. It was an impossible situation without first clearing the mountains and building a road to weather all of the seasonal conditions and thoroughfare.

"Archduke, how did you come to travel to Garten?"

The two men turned their attention to her.

"By Salicia to the South, your highness. A lovely route."

"Garten has no qualms with Salicia, but it is not profitable to pay their high tariffs on goods transported through there. I'm sure you're aware, Salicia taxes more than its own people. And outsiders more severely."

The Archduke seemed surprised and his thinning hairline went up further with his eyebrows.

"Yes, it is true. Your highness is very well versed in trade it seems."

"So then why are you asking a gift when so little is being offered in return? If you cannot come by Garten except for the high cost of sailing to Salicia, how can you expect us to exact goods from you without a direct route?"

The Archduke seemed to be sweating. He had probably been expecting to be met with another annual gift of supplies to get them through their annual grain shortage, or be excused politely. But she knew what he was up to. Herz needed a more permanent solution.

"Herz...has ocean bounty that the hot waters of Salicia does not. But we are too poor to start and sustain such a large enterprise. Garten has the opportunity to-"

"I am also well versed in geography, Archduke. And the only profit I see for both our fair and illustrious countries, is if Herz relinquishes its hold on Pforte Ventil."

Now the Archduke appeared truly distressed, and Will seemed very happy to sit back and enjoy the show.

"Princess...Pforte Ventil is the only mountain passage between our countries... Surely you can understand our reticence to discuss such a sensitive topic as relinquishing our most ancient hold. It is Herz' national treasure."

"It is filled with bandits. It is impassible. Your country is so poor your people steal what they have to to get by. I for one do not begrudge a starving child stealing bread, but children grow up. Pforte Ventil is a stronghold for land pirates and those seeking sanctuary from the law. You have no use for it other than to view it and bemoan the days it was once beautiful to look upon."

The Archduke grew quiet. She was right. The pass was inhabited by murderers as well as those who could not afford to pay taxes. But if Garten possessed it, they could clear it out and build it anew. Make the path straight and trade open between them.

"I understand you cannot offer such things of your own accord. You do not hold the deed for the mountains. Bid the King of Herz for us, and thank him for our talk. But until Pforte Ventil is on the table, we have very little to discuss."

He stood and bowed. Not quite ready to leave. He shuffled in place and Will finally turned his attention to him.

"Archduke, you've heard our requirements. Garten cannot afford to pay a rebellious child's way of life and receive nothing in return. The path between us. The Crown Princess has spoken."

He finally left and she felt her heart rate pick up as William turned back to her. His lips looked like they wanted to kiss her again. He seemed proud.

"I have been trying to tell off that leech for the past two years without declaring war. And here you are, at our wedding feast, citing your demands and sending him home with his tail tucked between his legs. I've been dying to see you trounce someone in your elegant way."

Perhaps she wasn't in love. Perhaps this was just how she felt when he was looking at her. And perhaps it didn't matter if she loved him yet or not.

He was patient.

And he was hers.

"Prince William, whoever said my only goal was to make him leave?"

His grew wider.

"You mean you actually want Pforte Ventil?"

She nodded, taking a sip of her wine. She didn't need it to calm her nerves any longer. Not where Will was concerned. Now she simply sipped slowly until it was half done.

"He is right. Our two countries do have a lot to offer each other. They've been in a steady decline the last sixty years, with most of their nobility hording away their own goods in modest castles to survive the onslaught of beggars. They had a riot but a month ago, and they could be looking at an overthrow of their monarchy in the next few years. And while we are well within our rights to allow such a thing happen to them since they betrayed the good graces of Garten all those years ago, I don't believe in letting unnecessary bloodshed take place under my nose. We can be gracious, and they will love us all the more for it."

His fingers captured her hand and entwined them together. His eyes seemed thoughtful, and he stared out over the crowd. Chammielle turned her attention to the table for foreign dignitaries and ambassador parties. The Archduke of Herz was already sharing the news with his party of compatriots.

"It's a daring plan...how long did it take you to come up with it?"

She blinked.

"I beg your pardon, but what do you mean?"

He had a serious and brooding look come over his face. She couldn't fathom what had changed his good humor to this.

"Your plan. How long?"

She tilted her head, hoping to lighten his mood.

"About as long as it took me to hear what he was proposing. Why do you ask?"

His face quickly changed back to his usual demeanor, but his eyes remained fixed on the feast.

"Sorry. It's nothing."

"Will..."

She pulled her hand from his and turned his face to her. He didn't seem to realize what she was doing until his eyes moved from whatever he'd been watching to meet with hers.

His hand cupped hers to his cheek.

"I'm sorry. I saw someone unpleasant. You may have a visitor."

She turned to see who he meant and spied Lord Godfrey in a dark back corner.

"Oh...him. Joyous occasion."

Will chuckled and her attention was drawn back to him.

"And with that sort of response my jealousies are appeased. Go on. I'll try to mimic you if anyone else comes up and bothers me about matters of state."

She stood and pecked him on the lips before walking down the few steps to join with the general festivities.

Cheers went around and she greeted the congratulators with grace and a serene smile she thought a queen might wear. She hoped it looked sincere. It was such a strange thing being royalty all of a sudden. She half expected to wake up any minute from this dream and find she'd fallen asleep in the garden back home.

She made her way to the back door, two guards posted inside and a line of them outside in the corridor. She didn't look at Lord Godfrey, that would give it away. She stepped down another hallway and waited. He wasn't too far off.

"Your highness..."

She did her best not to sneer at the deep bass of his voice. It was a shocking sound and she composed her features to face him.

"What is it, Bram?"

If possible, he looked more handsome than he did at the ball.

His hair hung untidily and showed off his true nature. His justaucorps was a modest black as were his waistcoat and breeches. A single red flower was pinned to his lapel and she was surprised he wore hunter's boots. His whole frame loomed over her, and his icy pale eyes searched her.

"We've caught a spy."

She let her face show only mild surprise. She should have guessed he would be part of the inquisitors into how the assassin found his way into the palace. Her sister's blood came fresh to her memory.

"Lady Aconia's?"

"So they say..."

She narrowed her eyes.

"You doubt them?"

"It was too easy. No sooner than we'd put him in chains he was blabbing secrets. The Aconia's network isn't so easily swayed..."

She nodded, deciding to trust his gut. The man she'd had tortured for information only gave it up with some severe breaks. This was too easy.

"What of John? What did he know?"

"He lead us to his contact...who was dead. But their possessions lead us to this spy."

She worried her lip and sighed.

"You really shouldn't tease a man so, Chammielle..."

She huffed at him.

"It is your mind that teases you, any attention I give you is for this business we find ourselves in."

He chuckled and she spied the sly grin that crossed his lips.

"Ah yes, business. Though that means I ought to receive some form of payment."

She laughed at that.

"And what sort of treasures does Lord Godfrey desire that he does not already have in his grasp?"

He stepped up closer to her and she shut her mouth. He seemed all too serious and she didn't have a sword in her possession. Not that she could fend him off.

The guards were just around the corner. She'd be fine.

His face came closer and turned to her right ear. He was too close.

"A future Queen in my bed, perhaps?"

Her face contorted with rage and she shoved at him. He did not budge but she pushed herself out of his range instead. She didn't care if he saw the contempt she held for him.

"I am married!"

"All the more reason to have an affair now. He won't notice anything different now that he's taken that lovely flower from you."

She wanted to yell at him but her face froze at his insinuation. Will hadn't. Not yet.

"Oh... that is interesting..."

She felt exasperated he could read her so easily. That she could not hide her emotions so well with him. He got on her last nerve and he knew it. She was being manipulated.

"You know nothing. I have my wedding feast to return to. You can either continue under my mercy or return to your putrid underbelly. Take care to keep an eye out for my agents if you leave my good graces."

She turned to leave and his snickering whispers followed after her.

"I should much rather be under you, Chammielle..."

He just had to have the last word.

She stormed towards the banqueting hall and then thought better of it. Her emotions were in turmoil and she did not want to go back in there and lead people to believe something was wrong. Veering, she made her way to the kitchens. She needed to bake something.

...

Will returned to their room. The banquet had continued on and turned into dancing when another two rounds of wine had been served. But Chammielle never came back.

He found the suite empty.

It had been hours since she'd gone to speak with that devil. No one had alerted him she'd been taken or was missing. He needed to know where she was.

He opened the door and poked his head out, looking around for someone.

"Clemence, do you know where her highness is?"

The Butler turned on his heel at the sound of his name.

"Princess Chammielle went to the kitchens, your highness."

He smirked at that.

"Thank you, Clemence."

He moved to return to the room but stopped.

"Clemence..."

"Yes your highness?"

"Was she still wearing her evening gown?"

The faithful Butler chuckled at that. He'd seen a lot within these halls. Not a lot they could do he had not seen before.

"She was. But she'd gotten a great deal of flour upon it and returned to her room to change two hours ago. She is currently alone save for Maid Belladonna watching over her."

That must have been a sight. Will smiled.

"Thank you Clemence. Feel free to retire for the evening. We all should. There's another banquet yet."

He bowed.

"Yes, your highness."