Fiction: The Library of Eristat / The Seven Suitors, Chapter 12, Finale.

A serialized mystery in a fantasy setting.

Author’s note: This is the finale of my fantasy/mystery The Seven Suitors. If you’ve been waiting to start reading until the story is done, you can now safely jump back to the start here. The previous chapter is here, if you want one last chance to review the evidence before locking in your theories.

Image generated in Midjourney, all text human-written by me, and human-edited by Alyssa Sparza. The depiction above is not necessarily canonical

Semote took one last look back at the castle as he stepped outside, wondering if he’d ever be allowed to return after what he had planned. After separating from Skye, he had made a final dash through the kitchen and his room to grab a few items before making for the wedding, telling himself he had to be prepared for anything.

The site for the wedding looked to be a short walk away, impossible to miss and decorated with flowers and lanterns for a celebration likely intended to last well into the night. They must have had this all planned out for months, just waiting for the right groom to show himself. Skye gave him a worried look as he passed her on her way outside, her hair and dress finally appropriate for the occasion. There was no time to explain, not yet anyway.

Semote ran over everything in his head again as he walked through lines of trees to reach the clearing. He had never been to a wedding in his life, but this one had an unsettlingly familiar feel to it, he could almost walk the path by memory. He needed to be as certain as possible that he hadn’t missed anything else. This was it. He wasn’t going to get a second chance. He was either going to prove his point and drive it home, or be left with nothing to show for it.

“You have the look of a man intending to cause some drama.”

Finn had appeared between a pair of trees, taking him in with an interested gaze. Semote glanced back, wondering if he was that transparent, if there was anything left of the façade he’d done his best to maintain.

“You could say that.”

“Need any help?”

Semote thought back to everything the other man had shared with him over the last few days. Darius’s and Wesley’s activities on the day of Valerian’s death. The letters being sent. The attempt to dispose of the poison.

“I think I have this one.”

Finn shrugged, then returned his hands to his sides. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

Semote watched the other man step back into the shadows. The sound of hooves pattering on the ground soon came to the forefront of his attention. He turned around to witness Gideon riding up on a blindingly white steed. Gideon pulled back on the horse’s reins as he approached, causing it to whinny and shake its mane.

Gideon was dressed up in red and gold, as regal as he had ever seen him. There was probably some cultural significance to the outfit that was going over Semote’s head.

“Still digging, then?” Gideon’s tone was the very picture of calm. Semote checked out of the corner of his eye to spot Finn watching from a distance.

“It is what I do.” Semote wondered if Gideon had heard any of the previous conversation.

“You don’t think it’s better to be content with the ending we’ve already found for ourselves? One in which everyone is happy, and you could even be remembered as a hero, for the role you played in assisting us.”

Semote felt something in his chest rise. “That’s not how I would remember myself. Not if I left while there are still questions unanswered.”

“I see.” Gideon brought his horse around to get a better look at Semote. “I want you to understand, I do hold you in the highest respect. I think you would make an excellent ally in the right circumstances.”

Semote looked back at the other man. “But?”

“But I know what you are about to attempt.”

“Do you, now.”

“Yes.” Gideon fixed him with a steely gaze. “And I want to be clear on one point. You are going to fail.”

Gideon turned sharply to one side and rode off, kicking dust up into the air as he went.

---

Skye looked around anxiously for Semote, wondering what was taking him so long. Her eyes scanned across the frustratingly large crowd, passing over guests from all social stations having the time of their lives just being here.

And there he was. Semote was standing at the back of the aisle, his eyes on the chair reserved for Rowena. Gideon was already sitting in the chair beside hers, and the other suitors were gathered at a table not far from her own. She tried to make eye contact with Semote, but without any success. He appeared to have only one thing in mind.

“It seems we’re here for the same reason.” The voice came from a source she didn’t recognize. The man was slim, well-dressed, and with a sharp look in his eye. Skye didn’t recognize him as Aeolian, she guessed he must be another foreigner.

“Are you here for the wedding?”

The stranger shook his head. “Not really.”

“Did you come for the funeral then?”

“Also no.”

Skye looked over at him with a bit of confusion. “You’re a little late if you wanted to court my sister.”

The man laughed. “Also not my concern. As a matter of fact.” The man tilted his head in the direction of Semote. “I came here to see him. My name is Richard, by the way.”

“Were you hoping I could introduce you?”

“Not necessary.” Richard smiled at her. “I know who he is. I just came to see what he does here.”

Skye looked over at Semote, then back at the other man. “I’m really not sure what you mean.”

The man burst out with a chuckle at that. “I’m sorry, you must take me for a fool. You’re not actually serious, are you?”

“I think I am. What are you talking about?”

Richard stared at her pointedly, the smile still on his face. “It’s just that what you’re describing is unimaginable. There’s no way you went to the trouble of tracking this man down, bringing him to this country—and then, tossing him into this den of vipers, and you still don’t know what is about to happen.”

---

No sooner had Rowena sat down, than Semote began to walk forward. He could feel the eyes of the crowd on him from all directions, probably recognizing him from the days before. The table with the remaining suitors on his right had four figures staring at him as he approached, probably wondering why he had taken so long to join them. The upside to all of this was that he wouldn’t have to worry about keeping up this act much longer, one way or another. Semote pushed those thoughts away and tried to focus on the current moment. He had in mind exactly what he wanted to say to begin. Where it went from there—well, that he would have to play by ear.

At the end of the aisle, Rowena wearing a wedding dress that resembled what she had worn when Semote had first met her at the castle, but with the darker colors of mourning washed away to pure white. Gideon sat next to her, contrasting in red and gold while holding onto her hand protectively, occasionally leaning over to whisper something in her ear. Like they were already a couple.

Semote took a deep breath. He needed to focus, push away the utterly useless things he was feeling, although—

Every since he had arrived in this country, he had worked to keep up his mask, to not say what he really thought, express what he really felt, or let any misplaced feelings of jealousy or resentment distract him from what he needed to do. But by some singular coincidence, Semote realized that what he was feeling for once might not actually be misplaced. Like the things that he believed, what he felt, and how he planned to act, had somehow fallen into perfect alignment.

Rowena was looking over at him calmly as he reached the end of the aisle where they sat. “I’m glad you could make it, Silas.” Rowena spoke carefully, placing an emphasis on his false name. “Please enjoy our hospitality today, we’re all grateful for what you’ve done.”

Semote nodded, his gaze shifting back and forth between Rowena and Gideon. “Thank you. But before we do this, there’s just one more question I need an answer to.”

“Yes?” Rowena drew in a deep breath and glanced over at Gideon.

“My question is for Gideon. How did you go about solving the second riddle?”

Rowena blinked at him in disbelief as she took a second to process his words. “You know, of all the things I was thinking you might possibly be about to say, I would never have guessed that in a million years.” She turned to Gideon. “Gideon, could you answer Silas’s question?”

“Very well.” Gideon had a guarded look on his face, but even he seemed to relax slightly. “I answered it in the same fashion as I did the first riddle. I thought about it carefully, eliminated the choices that were impossible, and found the only answer that was consistent. It was difficult, but nothing that couldn’t be resolved with enough determination.”

“Right.” Semote suppressed an inward smile. “I can say with complete certainty that’s not what you did.”

“And why is that?”

“Because the answer you picked wasn’t the answer to the riddle.”

Gideon stared back at him. “It was the chest that contained the coin.”

“But it wasn’t the correct answer if you had actually solved the riddle. I asked for the coin to be placed in the wrong chest. The correct answer according to the rules of the puzzle was the one given by Lucien and Darius. You chose the answer you did for different reasons.”

“Silas.” Rowena interrupted him, her tone gracious but firm. “I think I grasp your point. But aside from being personally embarrassing to Gideon, what significance does this have to us now?”

“Because I think Gideon got the answer to the riddle from someone who had already seen the answer we supplied. If he had actually tried to solve it, he would have seen the choice he picked was impossible, in a similar fashion to how he solved the first riddle. I wasn’t trying to test everyone’s judgment with that riddle—at least not exclusively. I wanted to test to see if anyone was working together.”

“And what exactly are you trying to imply?” Gideon’s eyes narrowed.

“That someone was helping you. That someone’s been helping you this whole time.”

Gideon stared back at him. “And why am I getting the third degree here and not Cedric or Alexander, who answered the same way I did?”

Semote took a look at the table where the other suitors sat, turning his body as he began to pace. “Cedric made a blind guess. Alexander heard the ‘correct’ answer from me. He didn’t share it with anyone, and I’m confident that none of the others would have done so. With one exception.”

“The gracious thing to do would be to chalk this up to coincidence and not make any unfounded accusations about the living or dead.”

“Which I might have been willing to do. If that had been the only time Lucien acted to help you.”

Gideon’s tone grew darker. “Yes, what now?”

“On the day of the tournament, you and Lucien competed at archery against each other. You both walked up to examine the target, and he announced you as the winner. I saw the target for myself last night. It was close, but there was a blue arrow at the dead center. A red arrow slightly off.”

“Your point being?”

“Your arrows were red. Lucien’s were blue. He won that contest by a hair, but he called you out as the winner. And you let him.” Semote glanced over at him. “Seems a little unusual, don’t you think?”

“Who knows what Lucien was trying to accomplish, or if he saw the wrong thing.” Gideon snapped back. “If he had behaved more honorably, he’d still be here to tell us.” Gideon turned to Rowena. “Do we have to listen to this any longer?”

“He’s here because I asked him to be here.” Rowena replied evenly, still holding onto Gideon’s hand. “He has no personal gain at stake here. I would like to hear what he has to say. How does that sound to you?”

Gideon looked back at her for a few seconds, then shook his head. “Fine.” He turned back to Semote. “So, dazzle us with your theories. What was Lucien trying to do?”

“I’m getting there.” Semote paused in the grass, trying to ignore the look Alexander had on his face after Rowena’s last statements. “But first, I want to explain why I don’t think Lucien could have committed all these crimes. At least not alone.”

Gideon sighed and leaned back in his chair. “He was hardly acting like an innocent man.”

“Let’s start with Valerian’s murder. The murderer was clearly planning on framing Darius, after committing the crime with a foreigner’s weapon. Lucien knew Darius was unarmed and saw him split off, but so did you. You even asked that Darius travel with you, after which Lucien requested to join you both. Valerian was a capable fighter. I’ve heard from multiple sources that he was likely better in combat than any of you. But he’s found dead without a scratch on him besides the wound that killed him. How is that possible?”

“I’m sure I don’t know.”

“I don’t believe that one man could have surprised and killed him that easily, or that quickly, not without great risk to himself. But a pair of men—one to distract him, the other to stab him in the back. Together they could keep him from struggling or fighting back, and when the deed was done, leave him there to bleed to death.”

Gideon snorted. “That’s quite an eye for detail. What makes you think he didn’t die immediately from the blow?”

“The night Alexander was poisoned, you described Valerian as having been stabbed in the back before bleeding to death.” Semote looked back at him. “There’s always the chance your expert opinion is wrong. But I think you would know better than I would.”

Gideon shook his head. “I’m not hearing any—”

“Next, we have the letters being sent. The day after Valerian’s murder, I witness a letter going out from the rooftop. I make it back inside to find Lucien and Darius in the middle of an argument. But according to Darius, they’d been talking together for some time, too long for Lucien to have made a trip back from the rooftop.”

“Yes.” Gideon’s gaze was withering. “Because we all know that Darius is a reliable source of information who would have nothing to gain by casting suspicion on me.”

“Not if Darius didn’t know what he was saying. He didn’t know I witnessed anything that night.”

“Silas.” Gideon’s voice had an edge to it. “Before you say anything you will regret, you should make sure you’ve thought this through. We both know I had no reason to want Alexander out of the way. We had already discussed how neither of us considered him a serious candidate for the princess.”

Semote heard a cry of protest in the background. “Yes. I admit that had me hung up for some time. It’s why I’d originally discounted you as a collaborator for these murders. And to be clear: I don’t think you were trying to poison Alexander.”

“Thank you.”

“I think you were trying to poison Cedric.”

It was Cedric’s turn to cry out in surprise. Semote ignored it, and kept going. “Anyone attempting to target a specific person before dinner was served that night would just have the seating arrangement to go off of in the kitchen, with Rowena always being served first, and proceeding to her right from there. But something changed that night—Rowena and Skye switched places at the last minute. The simplest way to describe the implications is that everyone but Rowena got the food and drink intended for the person on their left. I got the portion assigned to Skye, Lucien got the portion assigned to me...and most importantly, Alexander got the portion assigned to Cedric.”

“And why would I be any more likely to want him dead?”

“Wesley had failed at the riddles and seemed to be on the verge of giving up. Lucien was working for you. You knew I wasn’t a concern for reasons we’ll get to. Darius you were planning to frame. That just leaves Cedric. The other winner of both riddles, and the princess’s remaining alternative once Darius was gone. Lucien even had me primed to expect foul play that evening. Although he suggested it would be coming from one of the losers of the riddle rather than the winners. The opposite of what actually happened.”

“I think you’re getting a little carried away. Which I understand is typical for you.”

“No.” Semote shook his head. “You know exactly what I’m known for. And it’s not for being wrong.”

Gideon was glowering at him. “I’ve heard about the note that was sent the other night. Do you need me to prove I didn’t send it?”

Semote shook his head. “I know you didn’t send it. But for that matter, neither did Lucien. Or Darius, Wesley...any of the others. The reason should have been obvious, but I was too locked into thinking about it a certain way.”

The gaze Gideon was aiming at him strongly implied he wished looks could kill. “‘Have the army ready’.” Semote quoted the words. “I had naturally assumed it was a letter being sent out to a foreign power. I had seen someone fiddling with the note, the bird was carrying it. But after being scared off, the bird flew back. I had thought it was just a stroke of good luck. But I had it all backwards. The bird had never delivered its note in the first place. The letter wasn’t sent from the castle. It was sent to the castle. ‘Have the army ready.’ Now remind me, who has the largest army in Aeolia? In the event that Lithos falls, who would be the best equipped to pick up the pieces?”

“Are we going to keep listening to this?”

Rowena was no longer holding Gideon’s hand. “I think we are.”

Gideon turned his gaze over to Rowena. His face was beginning to turn red, and his voice grew ever louder. “You think you know this man? You think you can trust him? Has he told you the real reason he’s here? Why he has to travel under a false name? He’s not here to help you. He’s here to make a name for himself, and erase the old one.” Gideon turned towards Semote. “Come on, Semote. Why don’t you tell her the real reason you bothered to come. Why don’t you tell her what they really call you.”

“Silas...” Rowena sighed, then stopped herself. She looked over at Gideon, then back at him. “Semote. Could you explain what he’s talking about?”

This was the part he’d been dreading the most. But there was no getting around it now. Semote nodded, taking a breath in as he steeled himself. “I can. I’ve been asked to provide help in a situation like this before. Some time ago I was asked to investigate corruption in another kingdom. I succeeded. I found everyone responsible. But none of it made any difference.” The words stung as they came out, he had to force himself to raise his gaze to meet Rowena’s eyes. “I proved my case, but no one was willing to act on it. Instead they drove me away and gave me a new name. One that’s stuck with me. Only I wasn’t wrong then, and I’m not wrong now.”

Semote glanced over at the table where the remaining suitors sat, who were looking increasingly surprised by what he was saying. “I suppose I owe several of you an apology. Some of you have seen me present myself this week as Silas of Nareth.” He glanced over at the princess, then Skye. “Some of you have known me as Semote Verent.” He turned back towards Gideon. “But you’ve known all along I think, through your own spycraft. From the minute I arrived, the two of you realized what I was here to do. There’s one more name I’m known as. The madman of Eristat.”

Semote heard a murmur of recognition from somewhere, but didn’t pause to acknowledge. “Every assumption I made going into this was wrong. I thought my perspective would add value as an outsider that no one would be concerned with putting on a show for. But you’ve been playing us both from the start. Which brings me to my final point. Lucien called me by my true name at the end, he knew who I was. But his actions made no sense in that light. He accuses me of committing crimes, while you go on to defend me? He implies I’m a poor excuse for a noble, while you tell me the opposite? The two of you must have had this planned out from the beginning. You got to play the hero, while he played the villain. And you decided that for the hero to win, the villain had to fall.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You even told me you’d support me in marrying the princess, a gesture you knew was meaningless, but would still work to get me on your side. You had Lucien relocate and hide the dagger while talking to me, giving yourself another alibi. But your attempts to frame Darius kept failing, and then, your effort to communicate with the outside world was blocked. Then you heard about my scheme to find evidence against Darius. Lucien told you I was looking for proof Darius still had the dagger, while you heard a different version of the same story. You must have realized it was a trap, so you sent him right into it. You planted the candle in his room to add to the evidence, then turned Hector onto him to finish the job.”

Semote paused for breath, waiting for any response, any challenge, and meeting silence. “Lucien told me at the end he was simply concerned that the princess wouldn’t make the right choice. That she might not pick the right leader. I don’t know what you promised him in exchange for his help. But he couldn’t have been more wrong about you.”

When Semote finally stopped talking, Gideon’s expression had relaxed slightly. “So that’s it then. You have no proof.”

“That’s not exactly a denial.”

Gideon laughed. “Do I really need one? All you’ve brought us are a bunch of empty suppositions with no evidence to back them. All I hear here are the ravings of a madman, measured against the word of a lord.”

“And we’re just supposed to take you at your word then?”

“Yes.” Gideon slammed his fist into the arm of the chair, causing some of the onlookers to jump. “On my house, my life, and my honor, I swear. Everything you’ve accused me of is false. I haven’t conspired to kill anyone. I’ve made no communications with foreign powers or plans to pillage Lithos. The only thing I’m guilty of is tolerating the presence of a madman and the risks he’s posed to everyone around him.”

Semote let the words settle. He could see the look Rowena was giving him, but he didn’t need her help just yet. “I thought you might say that. Skye? Remember that thing I told you to never do? It’s time to do it.”

Skye froze for a second, then ran out into the lawn next to Semote, holding the cloth bag in her hand. Semote looked back at her. “Skye. Can you attest that we found this bag hidden away, near where Lucien died?”

“I can.” Skye’s voice was low but still audible.

“And you can swear that no one, not you, myself, or anyone else has had the opportunity to tamper with it?”

“I can.”

Semote smiled. “All right then. Lucien made a very strange choice after being accused of murder. A poor one certainly—although considering he was at least partially guilty it wouldn’t have ended well regardless. But I think he had a plan. Some collateral he had kept, to ensure he wouldn’t be the only one to go down for your crimes.”

Semote took the pair of tongs he had grabbed from the kitchen out of his tunic, and carefully pulled the white glove out of the bag. Semote rotated the glove slowly in the air with the tongs. “I believe you’ll find poison spread on the palm. Owen was paranoid about the pressure he was receiving to find a match for Rowena, the other suitors said he ate nothing, touched nothing. But one handshake, laced with a rare poison…”

“That’s Lucien’s glove.” Gideon interrupted with a scowl. “He wore one just like it for our swordfight, remember?”

Semote rotated the glove in the air again. “Not quite like it. Lucien was left-handed. The glove is not. And what do you think would happen if you were to test its fit? A simple way to prove your innocence, if I’m as mad as you say.”

Gideon glowered, but made no movement towards the glove, as Semote kept his gaze fixed on him before turning back to Rowena for the final time.

“You brought me here to find a murderer. This is my answer, what I believe to be true. Gideon conspired to force you to marry, murdering your father with the poison resting on that glove. He killed Valerian with Lucien’s help, attempting to frame Darius in the process. He tried to poison Cedric, and let the glass fall to Alexander. And while we may never know exactly what happened, I suspect Lucien, Hector, or both, were killed to protect his interests. He is behind all of it. Do with that information what you will.”

The look of indignation and defiance on Gideon’s face froze in place for a moment before shifting into a small, dark smile. He sat still for a few seconds, staring back at Semote, before drawing himself up. And then he began to laugh. A cold, dark laugh, unlike anything Semote had heard from the man in the past week. It was as though he was looking at a different person, like an actor finally breaking character when the curtain falls.

“Well then. You’ve finally managed to live up to your reputation.” Gideon’s smile had a sinister edge to it as he stared down Semote. “For a while there, I really thought you were going to let me get away with it. As I’m sure you’ve realized, you’re right about almost everything, all but the bit about Rowena’s father. But now, in what I’m sure must be becoming a familiar experience with you, let me tell you why none of it matters. Every word you have spoken, every bit of ceremony taking place today is simply dressing over the underlying structure of power which makes this outcome inevitable.”

Gideon continued, his tone forceful and unapologetic. “Yes, I lied to Lucien and the Serenians to secure their help. But the reality of the situation is this: There is still a foreign army looking to invade. I have the only force that can protect the princess. And this changes nothing about our arrangement. We are planning on ruling our kingdoms together. Our alliance will make both our realms untouchable. And without my help, her house is already lost.”

“I highly doubt you plan on sharing power with her.”

“Oh really?” Gideon sneered. “And where’s your evidence for that?”

“Let’s just call it a hunch.”

“That’s what you still haven’t realized, Semote. All the arguments and evidence in the world means nothing without the power to back it up. And you don’t have any.”

“He may not. But I do.” Rowena’s voice was quiet, but she had her hand up in the air in a pointed gesture. The guards had already taken it as a signal to approach. Gideon took a step backwards, staring at Semote, then Rowena in disbelief.

“You can not be serious.” Gideon said.

“I am.” Rowena’s voice was cool.

“This changes nothing between us.”

“Then I suppose we must never have had anything to begin with.”

Gideon began to sputter. “Don’t be a fool. You can’t tell me you’re going to go off and marry one of the rest of these idiots, just because I played the game better than any of them.”

Rowena fixed Gideon with a hard glare. “My life is not a piece in a game to be manipulated as you see fit. Neither are the lives of the men who are dead on your account. And even if it had been...” She paused for a moment, and glanced at Semote. “It wasn’t a game you played very well.”

Gideon drew his sword as the guards closed in on him, his eyes jumping from figure to figure, estimating the odds. The other suitors were already standing up, their weapons drawn. Swearing, Gideon took a few steps back into the woods and whistled loudly. His white horse came running, barreling past the guards with no regard for its own safety. In a swift motion, Gideon mounted his horse, and sent it into a gallop with his pursuers on his tail. Semote saw him give one dark look in their direction before he disappeared. He couldn’t say for sure, but he didn’t think the wrath in Gideon’s eyes was aimed at the princess. It looked like it was directed at him.

Rowena was speaking to her guards. “Follow him, take him alive if you can. We will need to alert the other houses about what’s he’s done. Perhaps even prepare for war.” A politic expression appeared on her face as she turned towards the crowd. “Unfortunately, it looks as if any wedding will have to be delayed until further notice. Thank you all for coming...”

“Actually...” Semote broke in. Rowena looked back at him, a question on her lips. “Actually, I’m not even done yet. Wesley, could you step forward?”

Rowena looked at him for a moment, shrugged, and sat back down. Wesley had re-sheathed his sword, and hurried over to Semote. Semote noticed that Skye had retreated back to her table sometime in the midst of Gideon’s outbursts.

“Silas...or Semote, is it?” Wesley sounded upbeat. “It’s truly remarkable what you’ve done. Whatever you need, I’d be happy to be of assistance.”

“I appreciate that.” Semote remarked. “Could you help me grab a table? I need to set something up.”

Wesley looked confused, but followed along as he brought a small table out to where Semote was standing. He made a second trip to grab a couple chairs, as Semote retrieved the other items he had brought with him. A glass. A small yellow bottle. And an opaque bottle containing a fluid whose contents were not readily apparent.

“As I was saying...” Wesley seemed to be feeling uncomfortable with the silence, as all eyes were on him. “It’s amazing what you’ve managed to do in solving these crimes.”

“Thank you.” Semote poured the last remaining contents of the yellow bottle into the glass, and mixed it with a carefully measured portion from the opaque bottle. “All that’s left is to determine the guilt behind a crime that may not have been committed.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Here, drink this.” Semote slid the drink towards him. “Explaining will take too long anyway.”

Wesley sniffed at the drink, his nose wrinkling. “What’s in it?”

“One of two possible things.”

“What, do I get to choose or something?” Wesley smiled.

“Technically yes. But its contents are contingent upon a choice you’ve already made. In the one case, it’s harmless. In another case, it will kill you.”

Wesley froze, and set the glass back down. “Maybe you had better explain.”

“Three nights ago, I passed out not long after the toast that poisoned Alexander. At the time I thought I must have been poisoned, or at the very least drugged, but nothing ever came of it. And it seemed bizarre that someone could have wanted to drug me, since there was no follow-up, and no advantage to be gained. But the reality that I got the drink intended for Skye that night opens up a different realm of possibilities. Am I boring you?”

Wesley’s gaze snapped back to him. “No, it’s quite all right.”

“If you just take a drink, we can be done with this and move on.”

Wesley looked down at the glass and laughed nervously. “I’m not in any hurry to die, maybe you had better explain what you mean.”

“Four days ago, I walk in on you reading up on the Aeolian Concordat. You snap the book shut at my approach, only to reopen it to a fresh page. I think you were looking into something that you were afraid wouldn’t reflect well on you. Now, I doubt you’d have any reason to care about the impact of marriage upon commoners, and you weren’t plotting to divide up the wealth of Lithos if the house failed. But the clause that might have interested you was what could happen if Rowena failed to find a match, but Skye did. The house would fall to her husband instead.”

Wesley gave Semote a disapproving look. “Hardly a pleasant topic. But nothing shameful by itself.”

“The night of Valerian’s death, you disappear to visit an apothecary. You return with what you told Rowena was a bottle of medicine.” Semote pointed to the yellow bottle. “The remainder of which is mixed into your drink. If it’s genuinely medicine like you said, you have nothing to worry about. But if it’s a particular drug used primarily by scoundrels to render young women helpless, as described in a book you’re no doubt familiar with, the resulting mixture I’ve prepared will kill you. Is that enough to go on yet?”

Wesley stared at the drink in his hand, loosening his grip slightly. He laughed. “You can’t possibly be accusing me of such an ignoble action.”

“No.” Semote leaned back and crossed his arms. “I’m not accusing you. I’m testing you. All you have to do is down the mixture and all my doubts will be resolved. I just thought it prudent to check.”

“I can’t see why you would even feel the need.” Wesley began to slide the glass down the table, but Semote placed his hand over Wesley’s, locking the glass in place.

“The night before I passed out, you had asked to have some time to talk with Skye. She chose to sit next to you at dinner, messing up everyone’s plans by disturbing the seating arrangement, and effectively giving me her drink. A more suspicious man than I might claim that your intention was to leave her in a vulnerable state, catch her after dinner, take advantage of her, and force Rowena to consent to your union or face a scandal.”

Wesley was glaring at him now. “You bastard.”

“That’s technically correct, but not really relevant.” Semote kept his gaze fixed on Wesley. “That night, when searching for the poisoner, you drank most of the remainder of the bottle you brought to prove it wasn’t poison. You disappear for the night. The next morning, you’re the last one up, and you spend your time before the swordfight in a stupor, trying to force yourself awake. An experience I can relate to, as a consequence of the drink I had that night. Laced with the contents of that same bottle, I suspect.”

Wesley lifted his hand off the glass, raising both his arms in the air. “You’re mad.”

“That is what they tell me.” Semote pressed the glass towards Wesley. “So, prove me wrong. Shut me up for good. Or alternatively, shut yourself up for good. There’s no downside here. Either you’re innocent, and all it takes is one quick drink to clear your name, or you’re guilty, and you can suffer the consequences of your decision now and not live with the shame.”

Wesley stood up, shaking his head and backing away. “Get away from me.”

“There’s one easy way to make me.” Semote held the drink up to him.

Wesley turned his head away. “I’m not drinking that!”

“And why not? Just get it over with.”

“No. Get it away from me!” Wesley was beginning to scream now.

“And why should I do that?”

“BECAUSE IT’S POISON AND YOU KNOW IT!”

Semote set the glass back on the table, doing his best to keep a smile from creeping over his face. He turned to look at Rowena, and all traces of that smile disappeared, as he saw a look of pure hatred in her eyes.

“It’s not...” Wesley grimaced, and turned pleadingly towards Rowena. “It’s not as bad as it looks. We had a real connection. If you could have heard some of the things she said to me...”

“Get out.” Rowena’s tone was darker than he had ever heard it.

“Please...”

“Our laws prohibit me from having you imprisoned for a crime you didn’t commit. But if you ever return to Lithos, I will see to it that you never leave as a free man. Now get out of my sight.”

Wesley swore under his breath as he turned in place to face Semote. “I hope you’re proud of yourself.”

Semote paused for a moment. “Reasonably so.”

Wesley spat on the ground. “You really think she’s worth it? That she deserves all this trouble you’re going through?” He pointed an accusing finger towards Rowena. “Do you even know what kind of woman she really is? You think she’s this pure, innocent angel in need of your protection, don’t you? If you really knew what she’s like, what she’s done, could you honestly say she deserves any of this?”

“I mean, she is paying me. If that wasn’t clear.” Semote looked over at Rowena, then back to Wesley. “And I don’t think I trust your judgment on innocence very far. But as to whether she’s worth it? I’ve been around a lot of people born to power, and others who clawed their way into it. And I’d say she’s more deserving than most.”

Wesley scowled at him. He looked like he was ready to make a move towards Semote, but the approach of the guards checked that impulse. Glaring at the both of them, he broke into a run, quickly disappearing out of sight.

“All right then.” Rowena shook her head. “Now if that’s all...” She looked over at Semote for confirmation.

“Still not done yet, actually.” Semote extended his arm and pointed towards the table of suitors. “Darius? It’s your turn.” He waited a second for Darius to stand up, then began to pace. “For this one, we need to go back to—”

“Stop!” Darius cried out, waving his arms. Standing up from his chair, he tripped while trying to take a step forward and fell over. Alexander took one look at him and turned his chair away from the man on the ground, while Cedric rubbed his forehead. Darius hastened to pick himself up. “I mean...you don’t need to go on. I’d rather tell them myself.”

Semote nodded, and made room for Darius who was already rushing out in front of the princess. The younger man began to speak in stumbling tones. “Everything he’s about to tell you is true. But it’s not as bad as you think. I haven’t tried to kill anyone...or attempted to do anything terrible. But I did lie in order to be here.”

Darius looked down at the robes he was wearing, and his posture seemed to slump in defeat. “The truth is, I am Serenian by birth. But I’ve lived my whole life in Aeolia. I’m a commoner of this kingdom. When I thought I could have a chance to meet the princess, and perhaps share with her what I thought we could do for the country...I took it, forging my credentials in order to be admitted. I got carried away by the whole idea of it. And then, Valerian died, and if I’d revealed who I was, I wouldn’t still be alive now.” Darius looked pleadingly over at Semote. “You know it’s true.”

Semote waited for a second, to see if the princess had any questions. She was simply shaking her head. “So.” Semote began. “What were you planning on doing if she wanted to marry you?”

Darius shrugged limply. “Tell her the truth. See if she still felt the same way, and not hold it against her if she didn’t. I never intended for the deception to go on this long. But it all got out of control.”

Semote shrugged. Rowena was looking back at him for confirmation. “All right. That’s all I have.” He thought for a second. “For now,” he added as an afterthought.

Rowena gave a polite smile to the crowd that had to have been deeply fake, and stood up to leave. “Well then. Thank you all for coming. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to be alone for a while.”

Epilogue

---

“Magnificent, wasn’t it?” Richard had a grin on his face. His expression throughout the proceedings had suggested that little he had heard truly surprised him, but he was enjoying it all nevertheless. “The truth wielded as a weapon as terrifying and indiscriminate as anything made by man. Perhaps they’re not entirely wrong about him.”

Skye looked back at him, wondering at the other man’s reaction. “Is this about what you expected?”

Richard nodded. “Essentially. How long have you had him here, a week? It was a risky move, bringing him in. But it looks like it’s paid off. He can obviously be a bit of a loose cannon, but you two seem like you have the situation under control.”

“Wait—” Skye paused. “What exactly do you think just happened here?”

“If I had to guess? I suspect your sister is more cunning than she lets on. She probably has someone in mind to marry already. And so she employs the madman in the meantime, to weaken the opposition, and show what happens to those who oppose her interests.”

Skye shook her head. “I don’t think any of that is true—”

“Nine times out of ten, a good story wins out over the truth, with today being one of the exceptions. But regrettably, I’m afraid I have to get going...” Richard gave her a quick bow. “You’ll have to let me know how it ends.”

---

The crowd had livened up with Rowena’s departure. Semote could detect several strands of gossip weaving through the air. Speculations about him, Gideon, Wesley, Darius...and everyone else who was still around. Semote filtered through the crowd to see if he could check in on remaining suitors. He wasn’t quite sure what should happen next, but in theory he still had a job to do.

“So it’s Semote, then?” Alexander seemed to be looking at him with a fresh pair of eyes. His expression was a little less jovial than usual, though still with a trace of its earlier humor. “The worst part about this is I have to forget everything I thought I knew about Erelians. What are you actually then, one of those book-lovers from Eristat?”

Semote nodded. He wasn’t quite sure where the revelation had left him in Alexander’s eyes.

Alexander clapped him on the back. “That was quite a show. You’re welcome any time in our court if you treat us to something as dramatic as that. Provided you don’t go after the house of Roth, of course. And speaking of which...it would seem I owe you my thanks.”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

Alexander looked a little embarrassed. “That too, obviously. I don’t know what’s worse, Gideon trying to poison me, or the fact that he was more worried about Cedric. After the seats were switched, he probably realized I might die instead, and he didn’t even care. But anyway...no, I meant to thank you for not saying anything to humiliate me up there. I’m glad our friendship counted for something.”

If Semote was being completely honest with himself, that had simply never crossed his mind as a factor, but he tried to accept the compliment graciously. “It helped that you didn’t murder anyone.”

Alexander smiled. “There’s always that, isn’t there? But on that note...you’ll have to send my apologies to the princess. I don’t think I’ll remain in the race for her hand. My best wishes to her and the others.”

“Really.” Semote remarked. “Why the change of heart?”

Alexander thought for a second. “Let’s just say that after this past week, I count myself lucky to both be alive, and have my reputation still intact. And between the two of you, I feel I’d lose one or the other pretty quickly if I stuck around. So best of luck.” He clapped Semote on the back again. “I’ll see you at the wedding.”

Alexander strutted off. That left Semote catching the eye of Darius, who was looking even more lost than he had before. Semote started to walk up to him, until Skye appeared in his line of sight.

“Doing all right?” Skye had a note of concern in her voice.

Semote rubbed his eyes. “I could use some rest, to be honest.”

“You’ll have time for that later.” Skye looked at him carefully. “You should go talk to Rowena.”

Semote hesitated. “I thought she didn’t want to be disturbed by anyone.”

“You’re hardly anyone, are you?” Skye pushed Semote softly. “Come on. Go talk to her.”

It was a short trek back to the castle. Semote found Rowena in her room, staring up at the ceiling. He shut the door behind him. He really wasn’t sure how to begin, so he said the first thing that came to his mind.

“Alexander would like you to know he won’t be staying around to pursue you.”

“Really.” Rowena’s tone was flat. “Finally figured that one out, did he? It’s been a day for revelations all around.”

Semote nodded. He thought about sitting, but no sooner had he moved towards a chair, then Rowena stood up herself, facing him.

“There are a couple things I’d like cleared up.” Rowena began.

“Of course.”

“I have no objections to you choosing to humiliate Gideon and Wesley in public.” Rowena’s face showed the faintest traces of a smile. “Had the situation been different it might have been more prudent to deal with it quietly, but here we are. I do have some concerns with how you went about confronting Wesley, however. It seemed like a very risky approach if determining what was in his bottle was as simple as you said. Did you really need to threaten his life?”

“I did.” Semote looked down at his feet. “I had no proof. Whatever was left of Wesley’s potion was far too small to sample. All I had were my suspicions. The only way I was going to prove it was if I bluffed him into admitting it. It seemed like the right time to press him.”

Rowena raised her eyebrows but nodded. “Apparently so. How long have you known about Darius?”

“I had some suspicions, but nothing definite. Things became clearer upon following up last night.”

Rowena gave a light smile. “It sounds like you and Skye had quite the time running around. I wish I could have been there.”

“I don’t blame you. We all had our roles to play.”

“That phrase might go on my tombstone someday. And we’re barely better off than we started.” Rowena sighed and looked back at him with a sad smile. “Forgive me. I don’t mean to undervalue what you’ve managed to do. But the fact that you’ve managed to figure this all out as an outsider with no stake in the outcome, while the men who say they want to marry me have failed, is incredibly discouraging to me. Unlike them, you even had more to lose than gain. But here we are.”

“Everything that happened must have been unthinkable to them.”

“And to me as well.” Rowena sighed. “You told me when we first met, that it’s possible to change our future. Do you still believe that?”

“I do.” Semote responded quickly. He started to say more, then caught himself. The exhaustion must be getting to him, this wasn’t the time to lose track of what was real.

“Well then. I think it’s time to change mine. The hand I’ve been dealt seems to have come up short. It may be time to alter it.” Rowena was staring at him intently, her eyes never looking away. Semote took a second to imagine what Cedric would give to be on the receiving end of that gaze right now. “You’ll notice we’re in a similar situation to yesterday, and our position has hardly improved. Have you thought about what our next move should be?”

Semote shook his head. “To be honest, all I’ve been able to think about has been getting to this point.”

“Well, I have. I think it’s time to change one of our starting assumptions. I told you at the beginning that I thought only another noble could fill the role of my husband. I believe I said it was because only a noble could be expected to fit into this world and live up to its responsibilities. But I fear that in truth I was buying into the lie we tell ourselves more than I’d like to admit—that we are somehow better than the rest of the world around us. Apparently it is less difficult than I would have expected to impersonate one of our number. And we have no monopoly on the best the world has to offer.”

“So what are you proposing?”

Rowena took a deep breath. “I’m willing to open up my courtship beyond the nobility. Let everyone know I’m not just seeking a husband from the noble set.”

“Ah.” Semote nodded, blinking his eyes. Exhaustion was finally setting in, now that he no longer felt like he was fighting for his life. Rowena was looking at him intently, her soft eyes staring into his. “I expect Darius will be relieved to hear that. Perhaps Finn too, if his reasons for offering help weren’t entirely selfless.”

Rowena flushed a little. “You may be right. There are probably any number who might be interested in what I have.” She was gazing at him with those eyes again, inscrutable, but impossible to look away from. “Or anyone who might feel a certain way about me. What—” Rowena seemed to flush again. “What do you think about all this?”

Semote stared back at her, fighting both exhaustion and a familiar nagging feeling that he was missing something. She seemed to be looking to him for answers he didn’t have. “I’m sorry, I haven’t slept well for days, and I’m barely holding together. My thoughts haven’t changed from before. I still think it’s a good idea to look beyond the nobility.”

“That’s all you—very well.” Rowena looked at him for a moment longer before sighing and turning away. “Let me ask you something else then. What do you plan to do? You’ve completed the task I employed you for. But the question of my succession remains unresolved. And there is a very real chance I will need to gather allies, and prepare for war. I might still benefit from your help. But I know that you said before there are some tasks you do not feel prepared to undertake. And I’m not sure I have the right to ask anything more of you. Do you intend to stay?”

Semote opened his mouth to speak, catching himself as he realized he wasn’t sure of the answer himself.

Within Rowena’s library, in a book he had clearly earned by his efforts, was the key to unlocking more of the Tenebrous Codex. It might illuminate another wave of revelations that could change his life and understanding of the universe as thoroughly as anything he had learned before. The smart move was to leave, and get that work underway.

But there was an equal counter-argument as well. If he left now he could bring back a single volume of the collection of primes, of a two volume set. It was probable that the other volume could have made it to one of the other houses, if the first volume had been found here. If the country was about to be engulfed in war, this might be one of the last chances he could have to search for it, particularly if Gideon himself was about to rise to power, and he’d never be welcome here again…

“I don’t want to leave you.” The words blurted out of him, a consequence of exhaustion, instinct, or something else. Semote took a second to ask himself if he really meant the words, if it was the smart thing to do. He had no chain of reasoning backing it up that he could articulate. Just a sense that he was less scared of the risk of death, than of missing a chance he might never have again.

“Good. I don’t want you to leave me either.” Rowena was still turned away, but she squeezed his hand as she said the words. He couldn’t even remember when he had reached out for her hand, or why he had taken the liberty to clasp her soft fingers in his again. Some dumb instinct getting the better of him. Even if it did make him feel safer somehow.

Semote paused for a second, feeling like something inside himself was slowly catching up to reality. “If you don’t mind my asking, Skye had mentioned something about a favorite—”

There was a knock on the door, and Rowena turned to give him a gentle smile, squeezing his hand again before letting go of it. “I’m sorry, there are a number of people waiting to see me, wanting to understand what this means as badly as I do myself. We’ll talk soon. Thank you for staying.”

---

Semote collapsed onto a chair outside, after grabbing a plate of delectables that had likely been intended for consumption at a reception that was now thoroughly cancelled. He quickly wolfed down a few bites, before leaning back into the chair and closing his eyes. Ever since he had woken up from his nightmare last night, he had nothing but frantic thoughts running through his head. Now that they seemed out of immediate danger, he needed some time to settle himself down.

“I’ve heard the news.” Darius had chosen to intrude upon his solitude. He let out a long sigh. “She’s planning to consider everyone. It sounds like I can stick around.”

“It looks that way.” Semote nodded, briefly closing his eyes, half-hoping Darius would take the hint.

“I should have known you were one of us, you’re nothing like the rest of them.” Darius gazed out across the field. “It’s true what I said, you know. Aeolia is a country badly in need of reform, with no law respected other than power. You must have seen the same from your time here. It makes me more glad than you can imagine that the princess seems to finally be open to change. The last few days have been difficult, but I really think that I can do this. Be the man she needs. And be the man that this country deserves.”

Semote shook his head, and went back to eating. “Keep in mind, I’m not the one you need to convince.”

“She clearly trusts you.” Darius responded quietly. “And for good reason. I know that whatever happens, you’ll see to it that she picks well. Thanks again. For all you’ve done up to this point.”

Darius patted him on the back and took off. Semote finished up his plate and leaned back. If he fell asleep now, he risked turning himself into a night owl and getting badly out of sync with the sun’s light. He needed to power through, find something to do. Picking himself up, he spotted Cedric standing next to the pair of chairs where Rowena and Gideon had been sitting. Semote walked over to him, where he was seemingly lost in thought.

“I have a question for you.” Cedric spoke in hushed tones. “Why am I still here?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I tried to do to you, upstage you for my own benefit when I took credit for what you had done. I’m sure the princess knows too. Why didn’t you try to humiliate me in public earlier? Why haven’t you asked me to leave yet?”

It was a question that had crossed his mind only briefly, but neither him nor the princess had brought up the possibility. Even after everything, Rowena wasn’t exactly forthcoming with her feelings on everyone. Semote thought in silence for a few seconds, trying to express his thoughts as best he could. Ironically enough, it went back to something Gideon had said. “We all have our faults, Cedric. We’ve all made mistakes. Every one of us. We just have to hope that those mistakes don’t all make us irredeemable.”

Cedric nodded, and looked back at Semote. “You must think I’m an idiot for coming here. And perhaps I am.”

“Outside of literal crimes, I try not to judge.”

Cedric gazed back at Rowena’s vacated chair in silence. “I suppose I really knew what my chances were since a few months ago. I finally came out with it, and told her I would like to marry her.”

“And she said no?”

Cedric shook his head. “She said yes. Then a few weeks later, she broke it off. I’ve never found out the reason why. And yet here I am now. I’m probably an idiot for attempting this. I know I should have moved on then. But I can’t. Some part of me believes it’s still possible. Part of me says it’s not. But before letting go, I’d at least like to know why.”

Semote paused, unsure of what to say, as Cedric took one last look at him and shuffled away.

A well-dressed woman must have been waiting for him to finish with Cedric, as she approached him with a coy smile on her face. “There you are, the stranger himself. Where were you when I was getting married?”

Semote took a closer look at the woman. She had been seated close to the bride and groom at the wedding, from a distance he had almost mistaken her for Rowena. Not as pretty, obviously. He wondered if that had ever been a source of jealousy between them.

“This is my first wedding, actually.” Semote responded, feeling once again conscious of his true social status being apparent. “I don’t normally do this sort of thing.”

“Well, maybe you should.” Lucinda’s smile widened. “If I ever have another one, I’ll be sure to invite you, you’d be sure to keep anyone with a guilty conscience on their toes, which is, of course, everyone. What does it take to secure your services?”

“Well, if you would be willing to—” Semote caught himself. Even if she was Rowena’s ally, any interest in the books he was searching for was better left unsaid. “I mean, Rowena did promise to pay me.”

“Oh.” Lucinda’s tone dropped slightly. “So that’s the reason you cared enough to do all of this, then? Not anything related to why you smile every time you look over at her? Why you frown at anyone who gets too close to her?” Lucinda extended a gloved finger in the direction of the castle beyond. “Why you keep looking over to her window, to see if she’s looking out at you?”

Semote flushed, noticing a smile manifest on Lucinda’s face at his reaction. Maybe he had something to learn from her about grilling suspects. “Those aren’t the sort of thing anyone chooses to do. It’s just stupid instincts, shaped by the incentive to survive and reproduce in a world marked by cruelty and violence.”

Lucinda’s eyebrows raised slightly. “That’s an interesting theory on human nature. Where did you—”

“Not important.”

“Ah.” Lucinda was looking at him carefully. “You know, I don’t usually try to help men, I feel like you all have enough going for you.”

Semote bristled at her words. “See, it’s exactly that sort of essentializing that makes—”

Lucinda gave a light chuckle. “Has no one ever told you that after you’ve sold, stopped selling? I said I’d try to help. I was going to say that even if that is true, I don’t think it means the things we feel are stupid.”

Lucinda’s eyes blinked as she looked at him. “This world has more than its share of cruelty and violence. But people have only survived in this world because they’ve loved and supported each other, which must have left its mark on our feelings as well. And if our instincts have lasted this long, they must be here for a reason. We can ignore them if we wish. But sometimes, they may be trying to tell us something important.”

Lucinda reached out to pat him on the shoulder, as Semote braced himself for what he expected to be a flirtatious gesture, only to receive a gentle touch, like she was being careful not to disturb a nervous canine. She smiled at him one last time, then took her leave.

It was a few minutes later that Semote found himself wandering back to Rowena’s room, only to find it empty again, with her likely on business elsewhere.

The Tarot cards still on the table drew his attention. Semote frowned, looking at the reading one last time. It was nearly perfect, just one small detail off from being an exact representation. Skye had said that Rowena had been told seven men were coming to seek her hand. The pair of cards representing Semote himself were clearly offset from the seven below, he did not come here in pursuit of Rowena. But if Semote was right, Lucien had also joined the game without any intention of winning it for himself. Which left them one short of the reading’s promise to reveal the natures of seven suitors.

Feeling a little foolish as he did so, Semote gave the deck of remaining cards a quick shuffle, before revealing one last pair on the table, just to see what showed up.

The Page of Swords. There had to be a half-dozen interpretations here, a young man associated with the blade, a servant to a knight. Also the card of spies. The next card Semote flipped was The Lovers, one of the simpler symbols to interpret among the Arcanas. Semote looked at the pair of cards, flipping their order briefly, before placing The Lovers on top. It could still mean one of any number of things. This must be how fortune tellers stayed in business, offering enough degrees of ambiguity so their prophesies could fit with almost any outcome.

Something was still bothering Semote though, even if the cards had no answers for him. In spite of all he’d done, he felt like there was one piece of the puzzle he still hadn’t unlocked. Some connection he was still missing, to make everything fall into place. But try as he might, nothing was coming to mind.

And then, it clicked. Semote stared at the pair of cards one last time. This had been surprisingly helpful. It was like the cards had helped him make a map for his own thoughts on the subject, making apparent the missing element in his own theories. If he looked at it as an inductive tool to explore possibilities, without bringing along the superstitious baggage related to the goddess of Fate, it might actually be useful.

Semote scooped the cards up, tucking them into his tunic, telling himself that Rowena wouldn’t mind, before racing out to the courtyard where he expected to find the next group of young men gathering, hoping to take their chances with the princess.

Sure enough, in the middle of them was Finn. Semote pointed a finger at him, breathlessly. “It’s you, isn’t it. This whole thing started with you. You’re the reason she didn’t have a plan going into this. The reason she’s suspicious of everyone. That’s why you’ve been helping me this whole time.”

Finn looked back with a half-hearted smile and simply nodded.

---

Three months ago

Rowena finally had some good news to share, with someone who might be the only person physically capable of keeping it a secret. She had come up with a plan at last, even if it was one for which Lucinda might have deserved critiques on its practicality. The thought of what she needed to do to make it happen should have scared her, but she was feeling strangely unafraid, as at least she was no longer fighting herself, finally knowing what she wanted.

Rowena was still a familiar sight in her friend’s castle, even if she had less occasion to visit now than she had been growing up. She made her excuses to pass by all the guards without any trouble, heading straight up to Lucinda’s room. What she saw in there at first didn’t particularly surprise her. Until it did.

Lucinda was lying half naked in bed with a man, presumably one of her usual conquests. That wasn’t the surprising part. The surprising part came when the man bolted upright and turned away from her. A dark shiver went down her spine as she saw the scar on his cheek.

“Finn.” Rowena spoke through gritted teeth.

“You know our friend here?” Lucinda looked back and forth between them in confusion. She raised her hands in the air. “He told me he was unattached.”

“And it looks like he’ll stay that way.”

Finn was scrambling to get dressed, and turned back to Rowena. “What are you doing here?”

Rowena felt her eyes begin to mist, but didn’t care. “I was about to share my exciting plans for the future with a man who loved me, but apparently it doesn’t really matter.”

She watched Finn as if in slow motion, watching the wheels turn in his head, and the excuses prepare themselves, as if somehow she wouldn’t have heard it all before, heard every speech a man desperate for a chance at her would give.

“You told me it could never happen again!” Finn protested, slowly advancing towards her. “You told me you were going to marry one of your noble friends. You said I needed to forget you.”

“Yes. Well. You told me you were going to love me forever. So I guess we’ve all been saying things we didn’t mean.”

“You can’t hold this against me. Not if you feel the same way.”

Rowena sighed, wiping her eyes with her dress. “The truth is I don’t know what I feel. I thought this could work. But apparently I was wrong. We’re just too different.”

“We’re not.” Finn continued pleading. “I’ll make it up to you. I’ll prove it to you.”

“Please. I’d like you to leave.”

Lucinda gently ushered Finn out the door. Rowena regretted watching him go, as that last miserable look on his face lingered on in her mind after he left. She sighed, and buried her face in a pillow. Lucinda had thankfully gotten dressed when she wasn’t watching, and was gazing at her sympathetically.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s probably not even anyone’s fault. I really thought I had it all figured out.”

Lucinda put an arm around her, and they simply sat there for several minutes as Rowena stopped caring about whether anyone saw her tears. When Lucinda did speak, it was in a gentle tone.

“What are you going to do now?”

Rowena sighed, wiping her eyes clean again. “I have absolutely no idea.”

---

Now

From the window in her room, Rowena watched the latest crowd of young men gather outside the castle. They would be expecting some kind of a response eventually. Many of her own citizens seemed to be there, men who had nothing to lose in trying. If they were going to be forced to fight for her either way, they might as well take a chance at doing so by her side.

“You really know how to pick them, don’t you?”

Lucinda was standing next to her. She had come that morning with the intention of being a bridesmaid. Now that her services were no longer needed, Rowena had asked her to stick around anyway, leaving her a little less starved for non-masculine companionship.

“Or drive them away. They should all be afraid of dying just by virtue of being around me, if this week has been any indication.” Rowena watched another man walk up to a member of the group and begin to interrogate him. Semote had found Finn, it seemed. That hadn’t taken long. Semote had a look in his eye Rowena recognized, his puppy self on the scent of something, determined to find the truth behind everything he saw, let no façade stand. It seemed like no secret could be safe around that man. Part of her was dreading the look on Semote’s face when he saw her next, if he would judge her for what he had likely concluded. Or if he just wouldn’t care.

“Cheer up, the odds are in your favor. I calculate that you only need one husband.” Lucinda peered out the window. “And you have quite the selection of men out there pining for you.”

“Or pining for what they think I could do for their lives.” Rowena sighed to herself.

“Don’t hate me for this, but that’s often the same thing. And at least there are four men you already know, to have a sense of what kind of husband you would be getting.”

“No…” Rowena paused, realizing Lucinda might not know. “I have three men of that description. Alexander’s leaving.”

“I figured he would be. Surprised it took him this long.”

“So that makes three.” Rowena looked over at the crowd again. “It appears that Darius remains undeterred, and Finn as well. There’s Cedric if he sticks around...”

“He will.”

“And the rest are dead or have already left. So if I restrict myself to the men pining for me that I already know, that leaves me with just three options.”

“Really. That’s interesting.” Lucinda had a smile on her face, like she was feeling proud of herself for being one step ahead of her friend for once.

“And why’s that?”

Lucinda smiled again. “I could have sworn I counted four.”

THE END

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Thanks for reading all the way to the end! I would love to hear any thoughts in a comment below.

Also, if you would have it in your heart to leave a review or buy a copy if I put this out as an e-book, please let me know, as that could do a lot to algorithmically improve this story’s reach, on top of sharing with friends.

I have the next book in this saga already drafted, although I’ll want to do some substantial editing and re-writes. I will resume publication of short stories/game analyses for a while in the interim.