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Dear Princess,

It has come to my attention that your brother and father were murdered during your coronation ceremony. My heart goes out to you and your kingdom, and I extend my greatest condolences.

I fear that you are unsafe and that these assassins won’t stop until they find you too. Let me offer you a place of refuge in Ilusauri, a chance to rebuild a grieving heart and a broken friendship.

Marry me.

With love,

Claude

Magda’s eyes widened. It had been ages since she had received any communication from Claude, her childhood friend, and his new reputation only made her uneasy. She never wanted to fully believe in the stories—from withholding food from his population, to forcing people out of their homes with no explanation, to having fits of rage or holding public executions—but she had no evidence to believe otherwise.

If what Dagmara said was true, and the Kingdom of Ilusauri really was behind the death of Aleksy and her father, then they had to pay. Nothing in this letter could change that.

But now, the Mad King was asking for her hand in marriage.

CHAPTER 13

Dagmara

“Idon’t believe it.” Magda let out a sharp breath. “King Claude wants to marry me.”

“What?” Dagmara gasped.

Magda stepped aside to make room for Dagmara, and Dagmara quickly scanned the letter.

Disbelief flooded through Dagmara’s body.

“He sees Azurem as weak,” Magda deduced. “Now he wants full control of it.”

Odie let out a yelp, almost in agreement.

“A guardian has never married another guardian before,” Dagmara objected. “Merging the life and mind lineages?”

Magda snapped her head up to Dagmara. “The life lineage doesn’t exist anymore.” Her lip quivered ever so slightly.

Dagmara could feel the onset of tears. She went to Magda’s side and nestled her head on her friend’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“I can’t go through with the marriage,” Magda said. “Sooner or later, he will discover I am a Soul Guardian. I can’t control it. What then? Azurem is history.”

Dagmara listened in silence. This was Magda’s decision, even though Dagmara may have her own opinions on the situation. Until Magda asked for her opinion, she kept her mouth shut.

“What would Claude have to gain from this alliance anyway?” Magda asked.

Dagmara faced her friend. “More troops so that he can finish taking over all the kingdoms?”

“I’m serious.” Magda frowned.

“I’m serious too,” Dagmara replied. “I hate him. He’s holding onto the cure that could save Teos’s life.”

“If there was a marriage, we could negotiate medication. Azurem would benefit from reopening the trade routes.”

Dagmara hadn’t thought about that. Would the Mad King even be interested in negotiating? Was there a way to get the medication from Ilusauri after all?

Magda asked, “We don’t have proof Claude was behind the assassinations, do we?”

“No, but he killed his parents. And he invaded Celestaire,” Dagmara explained. “I think it's easy to see a pattern.”