Emory stared at Fairborne in stunned silence. For a moment, his thoughts froze, then with a blink, his mind lurched and scrutinized the unspoken statement in the room. Florence's grinning face was a ghost at the back of his mind, her hysterical laughter a pulsing presence.

He smiled coldly. "I know where you're going with this." He dug his finger into Craig Martel's portrait. "You said he was a Gavarian general."

"He was. He left Gavaria six years ago. The reasons are unknown, but we're still looking into it."

"Then I see no reason for what you're insinuating. You're telling me he spent six years planning for this moment? We never had a problem with Gavaria."

Blackwood spoke from where he sat. "Yes, but they also don't have problems with the French like we do."

"We understand that the Grand Princess lied to you when you first met," Eastwell said.

His eyes snapped at the lady. "Because I lied to her first, and she didn't like it."

"She came here without warning."

"What are you trying to say? That two women from Gavaria came here to lead a bloody assassination?"

"It doesn't have to take a man to bring down a king," Greene, another Royal Circus member, wryly said.

"I'm not talking about that," he snapped. "She presented the papers, and you all determined them to be accurate."

"They were. But it still does not negate the possibility this might be planned."

"Your Majesty," Eastwell said, her voice firm and calm, "We are not treating the princess as a criminal, but we cannot turn a blind eye and erase suspicion."

"She has to be questioned," Greene suggested.

"I disagree," another woman from Belcourt said. "It's best that we keep a close eye on her. The less she knows, the better."

Emory scoffed incredulously. "This is absurd," he told Blackwood.

But Blackwood was not on his side. "I agree with everyone. Coincidence or not, we can't ignore this."

He eyed everyone around the table, then he chuckled wryly. "You've already set up everything in Coulway."

"Yes. Only a select few are aware. Those tasked to guard her don't have a clue."

"Ellise Dior."

"Some Belles, too," said Eastwell. "They'll have access to venues the princess might go."

"You'll be spying on her," he gritted out. He could already picture Florence's face once she found out.

"Unless the princess is up to something, she will not notice a thing."

His jaw tightened. "I don't like this."

"You know this has to be done," Blackwood said. And everyone around the table knew that if he told them to stop, they would. But he couldn't because, as Blackwood said, it had to be done.

"If you are to marry her, we have to erase all doubts," Fairborne said.

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "She can't even touch a spider," he murmured.

"Everyone thinks the same about the Belles," Eastwell said.

She was right. Belcourt's Belles were women who served as escorts to the rich and powerful men of Sutherland. For many years, they were trained by Belcourt to please and seduce men. The perfect spies.

He opened his eyes and ground his teeth. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

Eastwell nodded. "We're afraid so."

***

That evening, he told Henry. His cousin blinked a few times in disbelief, then snorted and laughed.

"Lucy and Florence? Out to assassinate you?"

As his cousin laughed, Emory gritted his teeth.

"They could not even properly slaughter a chicken!"

Hands clasped on his lap, Emory glared at the fire. "Unless it was all an act."

"Then they are remarkable actresses."

"She seemed desperate to marry me."

"Desperate is too powerful a word, to be honest. Keen is more like it."

"I've always felt she's keeping a secret."

"She wants to strangle you sometimes. She told me so herself," Henry said, chuckling. Then he frowned at Emory. "You cannot honestly believe what you're saying."

Emory closed his eyes, remembering their first kiss. All the nights they spent in the tree house. That night on the balcony in Winfield.

He sighed. "No, of course not."

"Then there's nothing wrong with letting the Clover do what they have to do. She'll be found innocent because, really, if she is to commit a crime, it is marrying you."

His eyes snapped open, and he threw his cousin a sharp look.

Henry guffawed. Then, his laughter died down and a serious look came over his face. "I wouldn't worry about her innocence if I were you. There are far bigger forces you have to contend with once your betrothal is made known. The Clover's only concern is your safety. Once they find her innocent, they'll rest. The Houses, however, will be a different story." Henry leaned closer. "Once they find out that a former Gavarian general tried to kill you, they will have a problem with a Gavarian queen, Emory."

"The Houses can go to hell," he ground out. "They can stay clueless."

"You can't be serious. They will have to know."

"Not if she's found innocent," he said. "Craig Martel will remain a mystery until I say so."

***

Fear constantly plagued her waking hours, and the only thing that offered comfort was the thought that Emory was going to honor the betrothal. There were a million bad things that could happen, but with her future almost certain, she could now enjoy Coulway with Lucy.

Their villa was just as she had expected—grand and very much protected. There were servants now, which was fascinating after having none for months. She was also assigned with a lady companion.

"This is Gabrielle Shaw," the duchess introduced, waving a hand at a woman with curly red hair. "She will be your companion for the duration of your stay in the villa," the duchess said.

Lucy looked around, and Ellise Dior understood why. "I'm certain you're used to having more companions in Gavaria, but I assure you that Gabrielle is more than enough."

Florence smiled widely at Gabrielle. "It's my pleasure to meet you, Lady Gabrielle."

"Just Gabrielle," the woman said, stepping stiffly to the side.

"Everything you do should be known to Gabrielle," Ellise Dior said. "Any purchases you make shall be arranged by her as well. I understand you need to go shopping?"

They nodded.

"Then you may go on the morrow."

One of the many things Florence and Lucy enjoyed was shopping, which was, as they found out, something the duchess could not tolerate. She gave the burden to Gabrielle, who barely spoke or complained.

"Where should we mail the receipt?" asked one shop owner.

"The Duchess of Calbridge," Gabrielle replied, providing the owner a piece of paper.

"Should we go elsewhere or get tea?" Florence asked much later.

"It is getting late," Gabrielle said. "We should head back to the villa."

"But the sun is still up."

The woman looked at her, and then at the boxes in their hands, which were dutifully taken by two more servants. "Very well. But no more boxes for now. The carriage is full."

"Tea it is, then!"

Gabrielle reluctantly joined them and was forced to answer their questions over steaming teacups. "Where are you from, Gabrielle?"

"Belcourt."

Florence and Lucy shared a look.

"But I have a family outside."

"That's interesting. How did you wind up in Belcourt?"

"That's too personal a question."

"I'm sorry," Florence said, smiling. "I'm curious about Belcourt."

"It is not open to everyone, if that's what you're trying to ask."

She laughed. "Oh. Well, that's a shame. But the king can enter?"

"Yes, of course."

She grinned. "That's nice to know. I assume the future queen can do so as well?"

Gabrielle sighed and scoffed. "Yes."

She grinned mischievously. "I see."

Two days later, the duchess came by again to finally announce that they were now members of Artemis. "Not permanently, of course," she said, crossing her legs.

"What does that mean?"

"You'll be considered guests. You can come in and out anytime you wish, but only for a limited length of time. Your permanent membership shall be determined by the members after six months."

"They shall vote if we can stay or not?"

"That's how it works with gentlemen's clubs, anyway," the duchess wryly said. "I'll send someone to take you to Artemis on the morrow. A friend of mine will give you a tour."

"You will not be there?"

"My husband is in town."

They watched Ellise Dior exit the parlor a few minutes later. "I'm more curious about the duke," Lucy wondered aloud. "She rarely mentions him. What do you think he'll be like?"

"I don't know. I'm still in disbelief that she is actually married."

Lucy chuckled. "She's odd, isn't she?"

"She's fascinating." Forgetting about the duchess, Florence jumped to her feet with excitement. "Lucy, we're finally joining a club!"

***

Now that she had secured a royal wedding, Florence had to change her story. She was still Lorraine Paulet, of course, but she had to maintain a story that was close to the facts: She was one of the hundreds of princesses from the Gavarian Empire, and she was here for vacation.

She was uncertain how much Lady Caroline Durham, Countess of Chalbarth, knew about the truth. As Ellise Dior's friend, they did not expect the blond woman to be so different. Unlike the duchess, Lady Caroline's forest green eyes glinted as she smiled each time Florence and Lucy expressed awe in every room in the Artemis Club.

There were four, apart from the courtyard and the hall. Each was called after a goddess. Hestia was the drawing room, Demeter the tea room that opened to the courtyard, Aphrodite the gaming room, Athena the armor room where fencing and fighting lessons took place as scheduled, and the last room was Eris. It was total chaos and very much fascinating.

"We all have frustrations we cannot freely express because people outside this club expect us to behave in certain ways," said the countess. "Eris is where we can let it all out."

Florence and Lucy stared at the mess before them. Torn pages of books, dented cabinets, broken chairs and glass. And they could only imagine the screams the walls had witnessed.

"Activity schedules are posted in the hall," Caroline said, leading them to Demeter, where a table with fresh tea awaited them.

They were introduced as cousins to the other ladies in the room, all of whom immediately taking interest. "I have not met anyone from Gavaria before," said one.

"I have once, but it was a man," said another.

"I've heard interesting stories about your empire," another piped in. "Is it true it is not welcoming to strangers?"

Florence and Lucy stared at each other and shrugged. "We cannot say, but now that you ask, maybe you are right. Gavaria is like that one person who has a lot of friends, but never invites them into her home."

"Exactly!" the woman said, laughing.

"But you only need to ask," she said. "You can visit Gavaria and see for yourself. We have beautiful landscapes."

"As I've heard. Perhaps I should ask my husband if we can go on a trip."

When the day was over, Florence and Lucy both agreed that they liked Artemis and they would love to spend more time there. Mainly because of the welcoming atmosphere. And perhaps the interesting gossips.

"I heard one member was murdered inside Eris," Lucy told her that night.

"How did it happen?" Florence asked with interest.

"Poison, I believe. Someone gouged her eyes out and replaced them with flowers. Her lips were painted with her own blood."

Florence gripped her cousin's arm. "I don't want to hear more."

"There were other murders of the same nature."

"All in Artemis?"

"No, of course not. They tightened security after the first murder."

"Then we should be safe in Artemis, yes?"

"Well, I most definitely hope so! They caught the killer. We're very much safe."

***

Safe as Artemis might be after the murders, Florence realized they weren't safe from Ellise Dior's curious nature.

Their first fencing lesson was a total disaster. She thought she could handle a sword, but was soon proven wrong. She did not have the grace to do the footwork properly, and even when she had to stand at a stance, she couldn't because her body would lean over to one side and tip her over.

"You can't be perfect on your first day," Ellise said when she expressed her frustration. Spotting Gabrielle standing in one corner of the room, the duchess asked, "How long did it take you to master fencing, Gabrielle?"

"Four years. Two for the bows."

As Florence and Lucy stared at Gabrielle with awe, Ellise turned to them. "It was longer for me. It takes practice."

They proceeded to Demeter for tea, Gabrielle choosing to sit in one corner with a book, but Florence knew the woman was aware of everything going on. There was no one around the tea room at that time of day. The ladies had been partying all night and were still probably asleep in their beds.

"Have you been making friends?" asked Ellise, setting her tea in front of her.

"Yes," Lucy enthusiastically replied. "Florence is actually quite a star. Everyone here loves to hear her sing."

"It is Lorraine," she conspiratorially whispered to her cousin. To Ellise, she said, "We like the ladies we've met thus far, but we are getting close to Lady Marjorie and her friends. However, I believe we're only within their social circle because I'm a princess."

"Is that so?"

Florence shrugged. "That's always been the case for me. Being a princess means getting the attention of eligible bachelors. And where the men flock, the women follow."

"You're probably right. Lady Marjorie and her friends are determined. You should be careful around them." When Florence and Lucy leaned closer, Ellise sighed. "They're not bad. But they're young and immature."

"Oh. Yes, we're quite aware of that."

A brief pause followed as they sipped from their cups.

"I'm curious about your journey to Sutherland," Ellise nonchalantly said. "You said you were in London for a while?"

Florence smiled. "Lucy and I stayed there to visit a cousin before coming here."

Ellise arched her brows. "I enjoy London every time the duke and I visit. What did you do there?"

Florence shifted in her seat nervously. "Not much. We've been in London before, so there was nothing else we wanted to do. I only wanted to spend more time with our cousin before coming here."

The longer Ellise's eyes stayed on her, the more it made her uncomfortable. "It's amazing how you traveled without an entourage. As the Grand Princess, one would think you'll have a full staff."

"I don't enjoy being followed around," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Servants or whoever. My father, however, assured the king would provide for me once I got here." She shared a look with Lucy, and they both let out a small laugh. "But such was not the case, as you know."

"I'm sure it was a misunderstanding that you were sent to Birchfield."

"I'm sure it wasn't," she said, rolling her eyes. "Emory is quite cunning. And forgetful, of course." Taking the opportunity to change the subject, she asked, "Do you know when he's coming back?"

For some odd reason, she wanted to see him again. Perhaps she missed taunting him, missed the way he'd get frustrated by her teasing. She liked Coulway and the conveniences it offered, but it wasn't as fun without Emory.

Ellise was about to answer when she stopped and a woman's voice spoke from the door.

"Good morning, Your Grace. Fencing lessons?" Florence and Lucy turned in their seats. Florence blinked a few times, thinking that she might have just met the most beautiful woman.

The woman's black hair was tied halfway, decorated with tiny pearls and a beautiful hairpin adorned with gemstones. Her flawless skin put porcelains in shame. And when she smiled, the sparkle in her eyes was almost blinding. "I've heard of new members," the woman said, eyeing her and Lucy.

Ellise stood. Lucy followed, but Florence remained where she sat because that's what she was used to. Princesses didn't have to stand unless facing a monarch. "This is Miss Tatiana Temple," Ellise said. She then gestured to Florence. "Princess Lorraine Paulet of Gavaria. And her cousin, Lady Lucy Paulet."

"So I've heard," Tatiana Temple said, looking down at Florence, her long lashes casting a shadow on her cheeks. "A princess from Gavaria. How remarkable."

"Not if there are hundreds of us," Florence replied.

Tatiana's laughter was graceful and genuine. "It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess," Tatiana said as she offered a slight curtsy, laughter still in her eyes. Beaming widely, she turned to Ellise. "I have some business to discuss with Lady Stark. If you'll excuse me."

Florence stared after the woman with mouth slightly open as she exited the room, gliding over the floor with ease.

"Lady Stark?" asked Lucy, taking her seat.

"One of the owners," Ellise nonchalantly replied.

"How is she related to Stark's, the gentlemen's club?"

"The owner is her husband."

But Florence was not listening. Her thoughts were still on Tatiana Temple. "She was very beautiful, wouldn't you agree?" she asked the table.

Ellise smiled at her. "Tatiana is quite beautiful, and she is very friendly. She's not titled, but her father is a very successful businessman both here and in England. You'll enjoy her company. Unlike most ladies, she is quite mature. But there's something you should know about her."

Florence leaned closer and waited.

"She's the king's former lover. The most recent, actually."