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It was poetic. The villainous king’s downfall is a mirror of the late queen’s.

How he even got this past the border of the palace grounds was beyond me. If there was even a rumor of it, he would be done for.

I leaned closer, inhaling deeply. It smelled fresh, like…river water.I couldn’t help the laugh that burst from my throat.

The image came to my mind easily. The old man, furious at the king for the death of his beloved queen, kept this bottle in the river on the far edge of the property for months, maybe even years, to hide the smell of magic within.

He would no doubt be disappointed with what I decided to do with it.

Father was one route, yes, but the most pressing thing was not his control over me.

It was Prince Icas.

I had learned how to deal with Father over my lifetime. I created a sort of comfortable life, even among the hell the stepdemons put me through.

But there was no way I would allow myself to be taken by Prince Icas.

I didn’t have what they needed to fulfill their wish. To put an end to Father’s rule. I didn’t have hope.

I haddesperation.And that was much stronger than hope. It had a bite to it.

The hope had been siphoned away from me, year after year, until nothing was left. Icouldfight Father…but I would never win.

At best, I would be locked in my room until Prince Icas decided to take me back to his palace.

At worst…I shuddered to think of what it meant to be at the receiving end of my father’s rage.

It wasn’t anything new, but the fear of him keeping me on the brink of the craze was enough to cause my entire body to freeze.

I couldn’t do it…not again.

With a shaky laugh, I held up the potion as it glimmered in the setting sun. There wasn’t hope brewing in my chest—it was something colder. Something crueler.

With this, I could change it all. It would hurt like a bitch, but it would make even Krae proud.

“You better fucking work.”

Vesper

Irolled my shoulders, the pain from sleeping on the hard Castle-family-provided mattress still embedded deep within my muscles.

Not only was I tossing and turning because of the bed, but Cedar turned out to be a snorer. You would think that, as a witch, she would have found a cure long ago instead of having everyone around her suffer from the earth-shattering throat noises she made.

The only good thing about the day was that it was my first official day assigned to the princess.

But what I had thought would be a day by her side, getting to know all her habits and possibly some dirty secrets, turned out to be a lesson in patience.

Patience was never my strong suit.

My family was known for their efficiency when it came to all contracts. Because happy clients meant more money, and the quicker we finished jobs, the more we could take.

But something like this couldn’t be rushed.

Still, I never expected it would take this long.

It had been hours since I had gotten the news hand-delivered to my room that I would be starting with the princess. A part ofme had been shocked that it had truly worked, but my suspicions over the entire situation were much stronger.

My job that first day was simple. One of the many at her side. Yet she had picked me to be the closest to her, standingrightbehind her, listening as she and some other royal chatted forhours.