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“Thank you, sire. Send word if you need anything.”

Step by step, I walked myself down the too short corridor to the throne room where Ricks was waiting.

My mood had most definitely soured knowing the discussion that was quickly coming my way. I sat on my throne upon the dais, propping my chin on my thumb, my index finger resting along the length of my cheek. Ricks chatted with some of the treasury staff regarding funds and disbursement.

“Your Highness, shall we continue our discussion regarding the tour?” Ricks asked after he dismissed the last of the treasury members.

My fingers sank deeper into my face. “Must we?” I said with a deep sigh.

He continued as if any objection I had held no weight. He’d heard them all already, and even a prince has obligations he can’t shirk.

“First, you’ll address the market in Waterview, then we’ll head directly to Sunvale, and finally, South Harbor.”

The tension in my jaw increased. I didn’t want to do this. Laying awake at night as the days drew closer had me wondering why I’d ever agreed. The next few weeks, months even, would be hell. I’d been lucky to avoid it thus far, running my kingdom as I saw fit. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Change became essential for the good of the kingdom, of the people. It was something I could do after too many months of feeling discouraged.

“Your cousin left for his hunting trip for a few days. He won’t be back until after the proclamations are made, but I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear your decision when he returns,” Ricks said.

My decision. A snarky breath of disbelief rasped from my lips.

The corner of Ricks mouth twitched, his irritation with my resistance wearing thin. “We start the tour tomorrow.” He bowed, then turned on his heel and exited the throne room. His cape flapped behind his shuffling steps, eager to leave me behind.

I couldn’t blame him. There weren’t many aspects of my rule we disagreed on. He’d been in his position since my father reigned, one of my most trusted advisors. Giving him a hard time wasn’t my intention, but I couldn’t help my resistance.

Tap, tap, tap.

My pointer finger tapped my cheek before I took a deep inhale and launched from my seat. I had to move, to do something. Knowing the power of The Coveted was no longer an option, a thick tension strained my chest.

Why the gods would take her power away right when I needed it was beyond me. If things had fallen into place, she would have taken care of my kingdom’s problem before the beast stole her away the first time.

Every attempt for patrol or guardsmen to catch and stop whoever was behind the disappearances had failed.

Which meant I had failed.

My teeth ground together as I moved through the hallways. Half a dozen guards moved behind me, but I pivoted to face them. “You’re relieved.” I dismissed them without explanation. Once they scattered, I resumed my path. Following my routine route, I dipped between alcoves and tucked around corners until I made my way down to the servants’ quarters.

I made sure no one followed.

My knuckles rapped lightly against one of the wooden doors.

“Coming,” her voice carried until her footsteps brought her to the threshold. The door opened, revealing blonde hair and blue eyes. “Your Highness.” She immediately bowed.

I pushed past her. “Shut the door.”

She did, concealing us in the tailor’s office. Scraps and spools of fabric covered almost every square inch of the room. Pins, scissors, cut-out templates. All the necessities of a master seamstress were askew throughout the space.

“Is it ready?” I asked.

She nodded, padding over to a heavy trunk in the corner. The lid lifted with a creak and she withdrew the perfectly folded black ensemble. “I made the adjustments like you asked, and fixed the rip.”

“Excellent.” It wasn’t just perfectly tailored material that brought a sparkle to my eye, it was what it represented. “My man will get back to you if he needs something else.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” She curtsied, handing me the clothes.

“Just as we’ve discussed before, your discretion?” I confirmed.

She nodded quickly, sending her straight blonde hair tousling in front of her face. Clearly, she became nervous in my presence. I didn’t love keeping her on edge, but I couldn’t afford to remove the seriousness of our interaction.

“Good. If word gets out, even to one person, I have a long list of other seamstresses vying for your position. Disgraced from the castle won’t make it easy to find new work anywhere close.” My own words made my skin crawl. This wasn’t the leadership style I wanted to have, but it was necessary for now. She was new in her position, only a few months, but she was skilled. Quite impressive for someone so young, actually. I was lucky to have her on my staff. She’d get a nice bonus once all the dust settled.