PROLOGUE
“Ladies and gentlemen! At long last, we’ve arrived at this monumental occasion!” the host’s voice boomed through the loudspeaker, echoing across the massive, almost over-the-top stage.
There I was, standing on that same stage, surrounded by fifty other girls, thinking to myself, “What on earth am I doing here?”
The host continued:
“Truly, we are the luckiest people alive. We get to witness a historic moment unfold before our very eyes!”
“How did I sink this low?” I muttered under my breath.
“We’ve waited for this day for so long, and now, finally, it’s here!”
“How did I fall into such a ridiculous trap?”
“I’m honored to thank King Reynar for the privilege of opening the ceremony to choose our new queen!”
“This is the end,” I thought grimly.
CHAPTER 1
I strolled along the waterfront, a smile on my face as I nodded to passersby. My mood was fantastic. A job that had taken me a full six months was finally done, the client was happy, and I was 150 gold pieces richer. Now, I could finally take a break.
All that was left was to hand over the governor’s cut, and I’d be set. For at least the next six months, I planned to soak up the sea, the sun, and the quiet. Quiet, especially, was a rare luxury—particularly in Dorgo, the capital of our kingdom of Villoria, where I usually worked.
It was a different story in the small coastal town of Voltter. Nestled in the south of Villoria along the shores of the Great Sea, it drew wealthy nobles looking to escape the chaos of the capital.
Truth be told, it wasn’t the best place to lay low after one of my jobs, but I didn’t have another guaranteed safe haven. This was it.
The town’s governor, Vigor Gerald Zhorbov, was the only person who knew me as Adalin Villier. For the past ten years, everyone else has known me as Diana Amster—or, in certain tight-knit circles, as the Elusive Dee.
As usual, I slipped in through the back entrance without asking permission and headed straight for the vigor’s office.
I knew he was expecting me. I’d received a note the day before demanding I show up immediately. That was a bit odd, honestly. Normally, I set the time for our meetings and handed over his share on my own terms. Well, we’d see what this was about soon enough.
“Good evening, esteemed Vigor!” I greeted cheerfully, plopping into the chair across from his desk without waiting for an invitation.
“Evening, Adalin, evening,” the vigor muttered under his breath, not even bothering to look up from the stack of papers in front of him. But what really grated on me was that name—Adalin.
“Why’d you call me that just now?” I asked, my tone cautious.
“Call you what, Adalin?” The vigor finally lifted his eyes to meet mine.
I didn’t say a word, just stared him down. I’d asked my question, and he knew full well why I was annoyed. More than that, he was the one who’d given me the name Diana over a decade ago. So what was this nonsense about?
“My dear Diana,” he began with a forced smile, “I’ve got some wonderful news for you. You no longer need to hide your connection to the Villier family! I traveled to Gorlom recently. You probably haven’t heard, but you and your entire family were exonerated right after King Friedrich’s death. Posthumously, of course.”
I listened to him, and a sinking feeling settled in my gut. I was in deep. Way over my head. I just hadn’t figured out exactly what I’d stumbled into yet.
“I’ve known about that for two years now, Vigor,” I said coolly. “What I’m curious about is why you’re suddenly so concerned about my fate. Isn’t the gold I pay for your silence enough? What’s with the theatrics? Just spit it out—what do you want? I’ll think about whether I can handle it.” The room felt stifling, my throat dry. I could feel trouble coming, like an avalanche bearing down on me, prickling at the ends of my light brown hair.
The vigor’s expression shifted. He dropped the act of the kindly uncle with good intentions and revealed his true self—a slimy bureaucrat always looking for an angle.
“Alright, my girl, you want it straight? I’ll give it to you straight. It’s time to end your little illegal escapades and step into the light as the last legitimate heir of your family.”
“Time for who? Definitely not for me. I don’t want this, and I’m not doing it. Adalin died with her family. She’s gone, and she’s staying gone,” I said, not liking where this was headed one bit.
“Oh, spare me the drama. You’re alive and well. You’ve got your family’s abilities, and their blood runs in your veins. You can’t hide forever. Your worst enemy has been in the ground for two years now. So what’s the problem?”
“I’m curious about that myself. Why are you so invested in my life all of a sudden?”
“You’re being unfair. I’ve always cared about your well-being. Heck, I’m practically your savior! Or have you forgotten?”
“I haven’t forgotten that you repaid a magical debt to my aunt Tess,” I shot back.
“Enough. I can’t deal with this. You were an insufferable brat back then, and you still are. God knows I tried to do this the nice way, but with you, that’s impossible. So here’s the deal. First off, I didn’t go to Gorlom for no reason. I submitted a petition to restore your family rights. According to my story, you’ve been hiding out at my sister’s mountain estate all this time, terrified of retribution. But I, as your savior, decided to take the heat and rescue a poor child from a life of obscurity.”
“I’m gonna cry,” I muttered sarcastically under my breath.
“Pretty good, right? Wait, I’m just getting started. Now, you’re going to back up my story. No later than tomorrow, you’ll head to Gorlom, claim all the privileges that come with your family name, and do a tiny little personal favor for me while you’re in the capital. After that, you’re free. Live however you want.”
“Sounds so simple, Vigor. But I’ve got two questions. Why should I do this, and what’s this tiny favor of yours?” I felt like a caged animal. I knew I couldn’t fight him—he knew too much about me—but I wasn’t used to giving up either.
“It’s real simple, sweetheart. If you don’t want to end up in prison, you’ll be a good girl and do as you’re told. And I know you’re about to say you’ll drag me down with you. I’ve heard all your threats before. But don’t forget who I am and the reputation I’ve got. I’ll wiggle out of anything. I’ll just say something like, ‘I took a snake into my home and didn’t even notice. Thought you were in the capital building a new life, and look what happened.’ So don’t push your luck. Do what needs to be done. You’ve got no choice.”
“And what about the magical debt?” I threw out my last card, fully aware of the trap I’d walked into. I’d genuinely believed that regularly stuffing this greedy rat’s mouth with gold would be enough. Back then, I didn’t have any other options.
“I paid that debt a long time ago. I covered for you all those years while Friedrich was alive, risking not just my reputation but my entire family’s lives in the process.”
“If it were up to you, you’d have turned me in the day my aunt and I showed up here,” I couldn’t help but snap.
“That’s just details. They don’t matter now.”
“So what exactly do I need to do as Adalin Villier?” I asked, resigned.
“There’s a smart girl,” the rat said, delighted, smoothing down his rat-like mustache. “That’s the spirit. You’re getting to the heart of it. It’s nothing major, really. You could call it a small repayment for all my kindness toward you.”
“Get to the point, please,” I said, my patience wearing thin.
“At the hearing to restore your family rights, they’ll ask if you have a wish for the king to grant. It’s just a tradition, and usually, people wish for health and prosperity for the new ruler. You’ll do the same, but at the end, you’ll add that you have an overwhelming desire to participate in the royal selection.”