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“Well...” She seemed to think for a long moment.

“I am Wyetta, the youngest daughter of house Haywarde,” the black-haired woman said, cutting off Charlotte.

She got the impression the woman was sick of the younger girl already. Charlotte barely looked of age, whereas Wyetta was in her early twenties.

Wyetta had stunning green eyes that were darker than her own, but they held far more warmth. She had high cheek bones with pouting lips. Her skin was a deep brown, making her curly black hair stand out against her face, highlighting her beauty.

Unfortunately, she held most of her femininity in her face. She had a similar body to Valerie – petite in the ways that men seemed to care about.

“And I am Savannah, the only daughter of Duke Colbolt Fairbairns,” greeted the last woman, her frizzy hair a dazzling shade of red, her eyes a beautiful honey brown.

Her hair was tied back into two tight braids, like the servants that dressed her found it unwieldy. There were a handful of freckles dotting her face, making the bored expression she wore in her brown eyes seem softer. Like Charlotte, she was well developed, but held a brutish beauty in her face that made it seem like she would be playful if someone of interest spoke to her.

“I feel as though introducing myself would be rather pointless at this stage, but, as you all know, I am Cecily Dyèrie.” Valerie took a sip of her drink, eyeing it carefully as she absorbed the fruity taste. Then she let her eyes scan the room. “Please, tell me about your homes and your travels.”

She was hoping to get them to talk so she could spend the rest of the conversation in silence. Valerie wanted to examine her environment.

Charlotte began to happily chatter away about her life in her manor, some place off to the west of the northern kingdom.

Multiple guards on every wall.They each had their arms straight beside them, unmoving like they were nothing more than statues. She could see their eyes moving, though, watching them all carefully.

The great hall was filled with women and men of noble blood, all obviously comfortable and relaxed. Valerie understood enough about royalty to know they surrounded themselves with a court, people to entertain them. She imagined the majority of people in this room lived permanently within the palace.

There were more than she had anticipated.It will be hard to search the palace with so many people here.

Savannah began talking with Charlotte about her home, asking her questions about her life. It figured that the two younger women would take a liking to each other.

The eight pillars in the room were grand, holding the ceiling by spiralling up. Painted lace designs circled them, a contrast against the cold brown marble floor.

Long glass windows reached from her hip height all the way to the top of the ceiling, allowing them to freely look outside into the dark of night. Blue curtains with silver embossed stitching had been tied back beside them, and they draped against the ground, causing an unsuspecting man to trip and fall.

People laughed at him.

Three steps ran circular at the back of the room where the throne was, thrusting it higher than the rest of the room like a podium. Bradwick was still seated there, watching them all converse while talking to a handful of men who had joined him, lazing on the steps in front of him.

They must be his most trusted companions.Valerie would avoid them as much as possible.

Who was that man standing next to the king, though?Valerie knew it might be her apprehension making her wary. She needed to be cautious of all those who could pose a risk.

He is gone.The guard she’d barely had the chance to look over was no longer posted next to the king. She let her eyes wander the large crowd of guests in the hall, trying to find him.

“You have yet to tell us about yourself, Cecily,” Charlotte said, bringing her focus back to the conversation.

While she spoke with these women, she remained poised like a proper lady, refusing to slouch her back or shoulders whatsoever. She couldn’t say the same for all of them.

“As you would have heard, my mother is ill and has been for a while. I have been taking care of my two brothers and running the house in her stead, so I rarely get to leave the manor.”

“No wonder you are so late to marry then,” she giggled, showing a hint of rudeness. “You are still rather pretty, so hopefully the king can see past it.”

And there it was, the true game. They wanted to bring each other’s confidence down.

“We have no idea what he seeks in us. Perhaps he is searching for a beautiful woman with ample breasts and perfect child-bearing hips like you.” The girl batted her lids with a blush, happy with Valerie’s compliment. “Or, perhaps he is searching for a woman who is not dull of wit and has learned much in her time already running a house, someone who can help run a kingdom, since she will be a queen.”

Valerie tilted her head when the girl’s mouth fell open. The insult had been there, but since she never mentioned who she was speaking to, none of the women could truly be offended.

Wyetta’s lips perked into a small smile while Savannah’s torso lightly twitched, as if she was snuffing a laugh.

“Beauty fades,” Wyetta agreed, even though her face was just as stunning.