Chapter 3

She said she cared nothing for gold and silver, yet nothing but the finest incense would do.

She said she never courted the great houses, yet she was at their banquets constantly.

Her compassion, her kindness, all of it was hollow. She could not let go of fame, wealth, or power.

Lilith was stunned, but a moment later she recovered her usual composure. "Rowena, your magic was unstable when you were small, and you only ever got so much of the ration you needed to practice. But you would rather faint in the middle of practice than let that lame fox go hungry, and you fed her every bit of it. And now look at you."

That was not how it happened at all. "You were being generous with someone else's food. I was just the poor wretch who went hungry for three days because a wild fox stole my rations."

The year I turned eight, the servants could not be bothered to carry my daily ration up, and simply dumped it at the foot of the attic stairs.

A wild fox out of the hills stole it and ate it all, and when I fought her for it so I would not starve, she clawed me badly.

Lilith walked past and gave us one cool glance. "The poor lame thing only wants a mouthful of food. Surely you don't need to fight her for scraps she needs to live?"

She delivered the line like a saint and swept away.

But the servants took it to heart. They praised Lady Lilith's kind soul and fed my ration to the fox for three days running.

Lilith had long forgotten it. In her mind it was too small a thing to be worth remembering.

She frowned at me. "Don't tell me you actually want to marry Duke Edmund."

I did not answer that directly. "I just don't want all of House Seyler buried alongside your lofty principles."

An angry voice cut in from the doorway. "A lowborn bastard like you dares dream of taking your sister's place as duchess!"

Cordelia swept in as though the room belonged to her, and spared Mira and me a single contemptuous look.

Mira tried to get out of bed to curtsy, and Cordelia waved her off in disgust. "Don't trouble yourself, you sickly thing. If you stop breathing on my account, people will say I mistreated you."

Mira went stiff. Her hand stopped on the blanket, and she gave Cordelia a strained, placating smile.

Cordelia glared at me and let out a cold snort. "Don't imagine that because you made a scene today you will be marrying the Duke in your sister's place.

"A bastard is all you will ever be. Even what your sister rejects is still beyond your reach."

I looked at her calmly. "That is a strange thing to say, Mother. Lilith does not want it, and no one else is allowed to want it either?"

Cordelia's eyes cut into me. "You dare talk back? It's not that no one else is allowed. You simply aren't worthy!"

With that she took Lilith by the hand and turned to go. "Come home with me, Lilith. The palace has sent you an emerald tiara. Duke Edmund must have cooled down. He has agreed to your terms and means to marry you."

Something pleased flickered at the back of Lilith's eyes, but she let Cordelia pull her along with a put-upon look on her face. "Mother, you know I have never cared about jewels. There is no need to rush..."

I let out a long breath.

It seemed exhausting, living the way she did.

She wanted things, rejected them from on high, and then waited for someone to press them into her hands so she could accept them reluctantly.

What the palace had sent, and how the Duke felt about any of it, did not concern me.

As long as House Seyler was safe and Mira was well, that was enough.

The next day another party arrived from the palace.

It was Vance Holloway, the King's most trusted steward.

He brought two chests of jewels and fine cloth as gifts, along with a royal etiquette tutor.

My father and Cordelia went out to receive him personally. I never laid eyes on him.

Vance took a seat in the front hall, did not so much as touch his tea, and spoke with his chin lifted. "His Grace went to the King himself to ask for these gifts for the young lady of House Seyler. Have them sent up to her shortly, my lord."

My father, delighted, agreed at once, then asked carefully, "About yesterday... has the King held it against us?"

Vance gave him a sidelong look. "His Grace spoke at length on House Seyler's behalf before the King. You should count yourself fortunate to have raised such a fine daughter, my lord.

"Otherwise, defying a royal marriage decree is a crime that takes down an entire house."