Isabella opened the room back to the main hall, where the rest of the diplomatic entourage awaited. The nobles all turned their head to her, notably quieter than they’d been when she’d last left. Duke Valerio leaned up against the doorframe just behind her, watching.

  “The Ambrosian ambassadors will be coming by with revised terms,” Isabella declared loudly. “Receive and process them well.”

  Isabella saw some spirited joy amongst the Dovhain nobility. She wasn’t na?ve enough to think they were celebrating her success—rather, they likely thought that she’d made a fool of herself and earned them a far worse deal. She might’ve corrected the record… but she thought it would be far more entertaining to see them receive the revised drafts on their own.

  It’s a little petty, she reflected. But I can’t be bothered.

  Still, though… they were unusually quiet. She wondered what had happened in her absence to subdue them so. She looked around and saw that Arthur was gone. She was somewhat disappointed, but it wasn’t unexpected. He had never before cared about events like these—why would now be different?

  “You really asked something difficult of me,” Valerio said, and she turned her head to look at him. “I have a great many questions that begin with ‘how’ on the tip of my tongue, Your Highness.”

  Isabella only stared at him without saying anything.

  “I’m sure our king will be pleased,” Valerio said in closing.

  “Join me at a table,” she said. “I have something I’d like to speak to you about.”

  The Duke of the Isles raised a brow, but nodded and followed behind her as she walked to one of the out-of-the-way tables loaded up with fruit. She quite enjoyed fruit, and after that exhausting conversation, wanted to have some fun. She sat down, and the duke joined her.

  Before either of them could speak, however, Count Faust walked up to their table.

  “It seems as though things didn’t go as you expected, Your Highness,” he said.

  Isabella looked up at him. “Not exactly, no.”

  “May I join you?” Faust said, and when she nodded he sat down. “Diplomacy is a very difficult field, Your Highness. Oftentimes, it’s more about connections than anything else. Regardless of how skilled your tongue, how strong your composure… it’s who and what you know that usually ends up deciding things. There’s no shame in failing when you’re new at this.”

  Duke Valerio leaned back, hiding his amusement with his hand. Isabella, meanwhile, ate a sugared raspberry without saying anything.

  “I don’t have any hostility toward you innately, but I did what I had to when my position was jeopardized,” he continued. “I believe that I can help you turn this around, salvage things. And if I do that for you… perhaps you can put in a good word with the king. A good word with Arthur. I don’t want to be enemies with the Archwizard’s heir.”

  “Enemies?” Isabella said curiously.

  “I assumed he came as your partner as an excuse to speak to Ambrosian ambassadors,” Faust said. “But after he defended you the way he did tonight, I see that I was mistaken. He left in a storm before I could apologize, so I was hoping that you could speak to him on my behalf.”

  Isabella wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but waited for him to continue.

  “If you can mend things with Arthur, I’d be happy to help abate this situation with the ambassadors.” Count Faust held out a cautionary hand. “You’d have the full support of my people. I promise that much.”

  Before she could ask what he was talking about, the doors to the ambassadorial quarters opened. The envoy scanned the room before laying eyes on her. He walked over with a small stack of papers and offered them.

  “This is the preliminary draft, Princess Isabella,” the man said politely. “If you give your approval, we’ll begin codifying wider agreements.”

  Isabella took the papers and read over the draft. It was difficult not to raise her lips up in a smile, but she managed. The numbers were a touch better than she expected, even. They had managed to win a very favorable trade deal. Valerio leaned over to look, and she showed them to him. Thereafter, she fixed Count Faust with an emotionless look.

  “Can you really salvage this?” Isabella asked. “It simply seems too challenging. I don’t know if even your diplomatic prowess could manage.”

  Duke Valerio snickered, looking away as he grabbed a pear from the fruit platter to distract himself.

  “Let me see it,” the count said. “I’ll do what I can—I promise, Your Highness.”

  Isabella offered the papers. “It seems I overestimated my own acuity. How vexing.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  The count took the papers, then began reading them. Isabella watched his face with amusement. The barely-concealed happiness on his face slowly deadened into intense scrutiny… and then, into pale-faced embarrassment. He rose to his feet, looking at the man that’d entered.

  “Are these the right documents?” He held them out to the ambassador. “There hasn’t been any mistake, has there?”

  Valerio finally couldn’t hold his laughter. Count Faust looked between him and Isabella, aghast.

  “They’re correct, count,” Isabella said. “You seem panicked. Can you fix it, or is it simply beyond redemption?”

  Count Faust couldn’t even manage a retort. He stood there holding the papers, struck mute and dumb, as everyone looked on with a mix of concern and hope.

  “Given how na?ve and inexperienced I am, I trust that you can handle the proceedings from here, Count Faust. If negotiations were to break at this point when the preliminary draft is already as it is?” She leaned forward on the table. “Why… I imagine the king would be rather furious. I imagine there’d be nothing you could say to the king to convince him to stay his wrath.”

  Count Faust looked at her, his hands trembling.

  “If you want my good word to reach the king… do your best hereon,” she said coldly.

  Count Faust meekly nodded. “Absolutely, Your Highness. My very best.”

  Isabella turned her attention to the fruit platter. There was still plenty of day left, and plenty of time to have a good evening. Count Faust and his cronies would do all of the paperwork for her—and they’d do it the very best they could, elsewise the sword would surely fall on them.

  ***

  “By the gods…” Valerio said as he and Isabella looked out to the ocean on the balcony. “If ambassadorial receptions were ordinarily this entertaining, I might begin attending more.”

  Isabella watched the sea without saying anything in response, but she was similarly satisfied.

  “You mentioned there was something you wanted to talk to me about,” the Duke of the Isles sat, jumping up to sit on the railing.

  Isabella looked up at him. She’d been thinking this request through, but she had some questions to levy before she asked it.

  “You said you dealt with assassins?” Isabella asked.

  Valerio shrugged. “No one worth mentioning.”

  “And if it was someone worth mentioning?” Isabella continued. “Do you think you could emerge alive?”

  Valerio looked at her curiously. “Are you expressing concern, Your Highness?”

  She looked at him without answering.

  “Yes,” he eventually said. “I can hold my own. As I told you not long after you offered to be my protector.”

  Isabella felt a little embarrassed thinking back to the words she’d said to him, but she didn’t dwell on it. She leaned against the railing, looking at him squarely.

  “Duke Albert is steadfastly committed to…” the words caught in her throat. She hadn’t realized how uncomfortable the prospect made her until she tried to say it. “Duke Albert wants an engagement,” she finally managed. “To me.”

  Valerio gave her his full attention, allowing her time to speak her mind.

  “He’s close allies with the king,” Isabella continued, looking out to the sea to calm her mind. “I need an ally. I need a shield.” She looked at him. “Considering what I’ve done for you today, I was wondering if you would be willing.”

  Valerio didn’t respond, and Isabella felt the need to give him reasons to agree.

  “All you would need to do is enter into a temporary engagement with me,” Isabella said. “Long enough for me to find a more permanent solution to the problem. I wouldn’t ask anything of you in the way of other favors, rest assured. Considering what we achieved here today, I thought… the favor would be at worth at least that much.

  “I don’t have much in the way of backing or allies, but tonight should illustrate at least some of my capability,” Isabella continued. “I can help you with favors in turn. Whatever matters you want dealt with at court, I can assist you. All I want… all I need, really… is time. Time, and freedom.”

  Isabella didn’t entirely trust Duke Valerio. She didn’t think she’d be able to trust anyone after what her last life had taught her. She did think, though, that he could be relied on for this. Perhaps he could’ve earned that pardon on his own, but he’d seen some of what she was able to do, and didn’t seem to revile her company. Pivotally, her brother wouldn’t allow him to exert dictatorial control over her as Albert had done.

  “Convincing King Edgar will likely be difficult,” Valerio said. “Are you confident of that?”

  “Relatively,” Isabella confirmed. “I’ve thought of some things I could say.”

  Valerio looked at her silently, and Isabella’s heart beat in anticipation of his answer. If he asked for some time to think, she wasn’t quite sure what she’d do.

  The Duke of the Isles nodded. “I’ll help you.”

  Isabella could barely describe the feeling of relief that washed over her. It felt as though something that had been choking her suddenly released its grip, allowing air to flow back into her lungs. She turned toward the sea, trying to contain her breathing. She hadn’t realized how much this had been weighing at her until she found a cure. It was like she’d bought her life back after another had sold it.

  When Isabella finally gained back her bearings, she looked at Valerio and said, “Are you sure?”

  “I’m certain,” Valerio confirmed. “If you can convince the king, I’ll do it.”

  Isabella let out a long sigh of relief. “Thank you,” she said as earnestly as she’d ever been. “And… I’m sorry. It seems that I’ve drawn assassins away from you, only to have them pointed right back.”

  Valerio cocked his head back. “Albert is that spiteful?”

  Isabella leaned against the railing and looked up, where the day transitioned to night. “More than you could possibly imagine.”

  This engagement was a temporary measure, nothing more. Who better than a fearless pirate for these stormy seas?