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“Thank you, your Highness. You are too gracious.” He gave a light bow in thanks. “May I please introduce my lovely niece?”

“Please do,” he answered, his eyes finally falling upon her.

Valerie took a deep, steady breath through her nose before she stepped forward.

I stand here for my family.Her family wasn’t here to support her, and if anyone discovered she wasn’t meant to be here, she would likely be killed.

She had yet to truly take in the room, the guards, the people watching her. As soon as the king had been in eyesight, she refused to take her eyes off him.

For my sister...She continued to step forward until she was a step ahead of Vermont.I bow down to the king upon the throne.

At the last moment, her eyes flicked to the man standing off to the side of King Bradwick. There was a fierce glint to his eyes that caught her attention, and she noticed he kept his hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

She quickly averted her gaze from him and back to the king.

Valerie crossed one leg behind the other and curtsied, bowing her head by tilting it gently. She kept her head down as Vermont spoke. “This is Cecily Dyèrie, the eldest child of Duke Grayson Dyèrie and Duchess Edrea Hardringe.”

The moment he was finished, she lifted her head high and rolled her shoulders back to present herself. She forcefully held his stare, meeting him eye to eye without fear. The look she gave him was one of unwavering determination.

He raised a brow, rolling the pad of his thumb over the tips of his fingers while examining her.

While I am here, my life is his. If I falter, I will not escape. If they discover what I am, I will not have the power to flee this palace.She knew it. Only an incredibly powerful Witch could stand against an army.

“My, my. I did not know Grayson could produce such a woman from his loins,” King Bradwick stated with a shake of his head. “You are quite stunning to behold.”

Valerie didn’t smile at his compliment, but she did dip her head. “Thank you, your Highness. Not many believe I am his daughter. I took after my mother, thankfully.”

He chuckled, causing lines of laughter to crinkle at the corner of his eyes. They made him appear younger, like he may have a tenderness to him.

“And comical too. Then again, I would hope for the same thing if I were his child. He is rather, how to put it eloquently... grim?”

He laughed again, but this time with a bellow. She got the impression he thought he could say whatever he pleased.

Her eyes flew to the guard beside the king as he folded his arms across his muscular chest.

She quickly brought them back to Bradwick. The men were staring at her with an inspecting and intense gaze, but she refused to show a shred of bashfulness in front of them, or anyone here, for that matter.

He waved his hand forward for her to step back next to Vermont, done speaking with her.

“You arrived just in time for the first night’s events. I imagine your travels were long and tiresome. Drink, converse. Tomorrow, I will begin getting to know the daughters of the dukes of my kingdom.”

Vermont bowed while she did a small curtsey, her head turning away to fall on the eyes already upon her. Vermont stepped outside so he could help a palace servant escort their guards, and Valerie was left alone in the middle of the room.

Without hesitation, she approached a waiter with a serving tray, calmly taking a chalice of wine with a strawberry inside of it.

She made her way to one of the eight white pillars in the room so she could stand in front of it. This still put her near the centre of the hall, but it meant her back would be shielded from behind. No one could startle her there, and she wouldn’t appear like a feeble woman with her back against the wall.

Like she knew they would, three women approached, even when Vermont stood next to her.

She knew who they were. They were the other dukes’ daughters, ones who would be attempting to gain favour with the king and receive his hand in marriage.

The first to speak was the woman Valerie had considered taking the place of over Cecily. Now that she was looking at her, she was glad she hadn’t.

Her hair was such a similar colour of brown to her eyes, they were easy to lose if her large curls fell in front of them. She was also darker in skin tone than Cecily was, and more voluptuous than Valerie could try to pass off.

“Hello, I am Charlotte, youngest daughter of house Sazerac,” she greeted with a smile, revealing mostly straight teeth. “How are you finding your evening in the palace so far?”

She is not very bright,Valerie thought, as the black-haired woman in front of her said, “She just got here. Her night has barely started yet.”