While Ruena was busy with Mr. Mischief, Soral took it upon himself to remind Velcorna Alodan of their agreement. There were some other things he wanted to check as well. The Duchess seemed to be expecting him, as refreshments for a guest had already been set out when he arrived.

  “Densooth left last night,” Soral told her, “His interest in Ruena is already fading.”

  “I heard,” Veclorna confirmed, “You leave me no choice but to believe your words. Now that the prophecy has been fulfilled the only thing keeping his attention on Alodan is my attempts to claim the throne.”

  “Exactly,” Soral confirmed, “That is why you must willingly return to Ariz.” Seeing how much she cared about Ruena, and how willing she was to cooperate made Soral feel a bit guilty.

  “I know I chose the wrong path, so you don’t have to pity me, hero,” she told him, “Even now I don’t feel the slightest shred of remorse. You should feel proud. Because of your hard work I can never leave the boundaries of my homeland again. But I am sure he is proud too, pinning his crime on someone like me.”

  There it was again, the stray thought that had brought Soral there in the first place. “Velcorna is it true? Did Densooth really murder Byron Alodan?”

  “So what if it is? What will it change? Will her knowing make her any safer?” Velcorna demanded, “You know as well as I do that man is just like me. He will do anything to get what he wants. If she resists him, she will lose everything, just like I did. You are the only one who can stand against him. If you really want to protect her, you must save Altea from his clutches.”

  “How can I even do that?” Soral asked, unable to keep the desperation out of his own voice, “Last time I truly went against him, I got cursed and lost Ruena her home.”

  “You will target the one thing he cares about most,” Velcorna instructed, “There is an heir to Altea hiding somewhere, and Densooth knows exactly where she is. You must find her, and you must rescue her from him before she becomes his puppet just like Shirisha and the Queens of the past. There is an organization in Thador that can help you called the Saorsa. They will welcome you with open arms if you declare yourself an enemy of the Black Wolf.”

  The Saorsa? An organization against the Black Wolf was definitely something he should look into. He was also surprised that Velcorna already knew about the heir that had been hidden. Soral only knew because Shirisha had told Ruena herself. He also didn’t understand why Velcorna was showing such an unguarded side of herself to him.

  “Why would you lie to her? Why did you chase her away?” Soral insisted, unwilling to let this chance to learn the truth go to waste.

  “Soral Voila,” she shot back, “I think you already know the answer. You know what he wants, and you know what life he would have made her live if she had remained as a noble. The day Byron died he went to beg Densooth for mercy. He was willing to offer anything to free her from his clutches. My husband gave his life for her future, so I had no choice but to make sure his sacrifice was not in vain. That is the kind of monster you are dealing with. Never forget, and never let your guard down.”

  ==========

  Marx spent some time with Niko before leaving with Sabre. There was no telling when or if the siblings would be able to see each other again. Niko himself seemed to have a rather odd relationship with Mr. Mischief. She still couldn’t tell if the boy trusted him or hated him. Whatever he was thinking, Mr. Mischief himself seemed to find it absolutely adorable even if he tended to treat Niko more like a pet than a person.

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  Ruena extended her offer to the rest of the Cats after gathering them together. They were uncertain as they had no reason to trust her, so she asked Mr. Mischief to protect them until they made their choice later. After that, she returned to her accommodations at Florfana’s castle. There were still things to take care of there.

  First things first, she had to deal with all of the paperwork concerning her new authority of the Cats she won in the bet, as well as every official trying to convince her that the king had no authority to make bets with his people on the line. They only shut up when she brought up the fact that he had been selling them just fine until now. Ruena knew better than to think this would really solve everything. In all honesty, it might not solve anything right away, but at least the Cats she already protected in Alodan would never be able to be threatened again.

  Once that was settled, she found herself in a private meeting with the woman she despised the most. Velcorna Alodan appeared far too calm for a woman who had failed to stop her from claiming the title of Weaponsmaster. Ruena braced herself for whatever wild nonsense she would spit out this time.

  “Your husband was right,” Velcorna began, “The moment you succeeded and received your title, Densooth left.”

  “You should consider leaving as well,” Ruena shot back, deciding that now was not the time to correct her that Soral was not her husband yet, “I intend to make an official statement soon that you are an outsider of Alodan who has no right to the dukedom or the throne of Altea.”

  “I will retreat to Ariz as you wish,” Velcorna agreed. This was far too easy. What was going on? “Since I am holding up to my end of the bargain, you had best warn Soral Voila to keep his word. The moment he breaks our agreement, I will not hesitate to return and take matters into my own hands.”

  So this was Soral’s doing. It wasn’t particularly a surprise since he had mentioned something about a plan a while back. It seemed neither of them were going to tell her what this agreement was about, but she would ask Soral later just to be sure.

  “Wouldn’t it be better to convey those words yourself?” Ruena pointed out.

  “Talking to that man is rather unpleasant. He sees right into the darkest parts of your heart in an instant, dragging up secrets that are better left buried,” Velcorna denied, “I will miss you, my beloved child.”

  “There is no need to lie,” Ruena told her with a scowl, and promptly got up to leave, “I hope there is never a reason for us to meet again.”

  “I hope for the same,” Velcorna replied coldly.

  It was a goodbye that suited the mother and daughter who could never get along. Ruena would never be able to forgive her, and Velcorna seemed to have no intention to bend either. It was a stroke of luck that she seemed to approve of Soral in some capacity.

  Everyone was ready to leave by the time Ruena met up with them, leaving no time for hesitation. She would return to Alodan and claim the full extent of her father’s legacy. That was her right and her duty as Ruena Alodan, and one she needed to accept. Velcorna had been right about one thing. She had been running away from her role long enough.

  Before their magic carriage even reached the borders of Florfana, they were attacked by assassins. The assassins were taken aback by how calm the occupants of the carriage they attacked were.

  “I thought this might happen,” Storm mused, “Do you need me to take care of it?”

  “I want to fight!” Blade eagerly volunteered.

  “No,” Ruena denied, confidently reaching for her belt, “I think I should show them how threatening a Weaponsmaster is when I have real weapons at my disposal.”

  “I’ll help contain the stragglers,” Soral offered with a smile and a suspicious amount of muffins suddenly appearing in his hands.

  It was strange. Someone was after her life, yet this moment felt so right. She was surrounded by friends, family, and the very chaotic love of her life showing off the skills she had spent so long honing. It was perfect.