The backlash from Marie-Fey turning Zaydan on Zaafira came much earlier than expected.

That same night, in fact.

Marie-Fey was in her rooms with Gharam, who had a host of new gowns piled high on the floor that Maanah had delivered from the palace an hour before. She was sorting through them, her tones excited as she examined one with a peacock trim – commenting that Marie-Fey should wear it the following day to annoy Zaafira since Zaafira's most common theme was the peacock.

Marie-Fey smiled slightly at the idea as she moved some of the dresses aside before spotting something out of place.

She pulled a pair of loose trousers from the pile and frowned at them.

Of course, she knew what the şalvar were, numerous women in the palace wore them, she just couldn't understand why they'd be in her new set of wardrobe.

"Oh, Lord Zaydan must have requested them," Gharam said, taking the beautiful silk in her hands and admiring the intricate belt.

Marie-Fey glared at that. "What possible reason does he have for messing with my clothes?" she snapped.

Gharam just smiled at her. "I'm sure he was just concerned about how your usual attire might be too much at times in the heat, something lighter can have its benefits."

"He is a man, he has no business in my fashion."

"He does have an eye for style though," Gharam pointed out.

"Egh," was Marie-Fey's unrefined response and dug her hand into the pile again to pull something else free.

She wasn't sure what made her stop.

A sound?

Movement?

A deep-set survival instinct?

The ghost of invisible fingers along her shoulder?

She didn't know.

But one moment she was reaching into the pile, hand vanishing into the fabrics. The next second, she froze.

Before wrenching her hand back, hurled the clothes aside and a huge, black scorpion tumbled from the dress she was gripping, its claws bared and sting ready as it hit the floor.

Gharam screamed, her voice shattering the tranquil evening as she scrambled back across the floor.

The scorpion went straight for her.

Marie-Fey was on her feet and grabbed Gharam in a heartbeat, hurling her up and away towards the door as chaos sounded from outside.

Maanah burst in, eyes wide in panic as Gharam scrambled for her, throwing her arms around her in terror as two other maids started screaming and Maanah shouted over them to fetch the guards.

While they screamed in the doorway, Marie-Fey calmly dropped the dress she held on top of the scorpion, who instantly stopped moving when it was blinded.

Two guards raced in, swords drawn and Marie-Fey waved for everyone to shut up before they gave her a headache.

She, instead, reached over and pulled one of the golf clubs Constantine had sent her from their bag, then reached down and flung the dress aside.

The scorpion was dazed from the sudden brightness and Marie-Fey hooked the head of the club under the scorpion's tail and yanked it right off the ground, the little beast clinging on for dear life as the ground abandoned it.

The four women and two men stared at her as she proceeded to carry the thing, at arm's length, to the window, stick the club out as far as it could go, then shake the creature off.

She peered out once it fell and watched as the scorpion tumbled to the ground far below.

It landed with an audible thud and was still for a moment – Marie-Fey was half-concerned she'd killed it – but then the shock wore off and its armoured body had kept it safe.

She watched as the black dot righted itself and skittered away into the green of the garden, away to safety and silence.

She watched until it was gone, waited a moment to be sure it didn't come back, then turned and found all eyes on her.

"What?" she said, frowning at them as she set the club on the floor like a cane, setting her free hand on her hips.

"You..." Gharam wheezed out, still clinging to Maanah.

"Are you insane?" Maanah snapped, "You could have been stung."

"But I wasn't," Marie-Fey said, slinging the club up and resting it across her shoulders, wrists resting over the long handle.

"That's not the point!"

She just shrugged. "I didn't want it hacked to pieces," she said simply, sweeping across the room and putting the club back before turning to eye the pile of clothes. "Having said that, I do not fancy being stung by any hidden friends."

She pointed to the guards.

"Have my rooms searched from top to bottom. Then the rest of the palace. I will sleep in my old rooms for the night," she ordered.

She reached down and picked up the peacock gown as she spoke, shaking it violently in case there were any more uninvited guests then slung it across to her ladies.

Gharam quickly caught it and they both looked at her.

"I'll wear that dress tomorrow," she said as she breezed past them.

"Zaafira will be awfully jealous," Maanah observed as she and Gharam quickly followed their mistress.

"I'm counting on it," Marie-Fey said, looking over her shoulder and giving them a bright, cold smile.