Vermillion & Silver

Chapter Six || Claims

Time had never passed as swiftly. An hourglass had begun its countdown and the last grains of sand would fall with the arrival of the Blue Moon. There was no stopping it and Selene felt the weight of each passing hour. The time to think and strategise was over, she needed to act but putting her plans in motion was proving to be a lot harder that she had expected. It was an uphill battle, a girl against a castle full of enemies, one single mistake could cost her everything. She needed an ally.

Selene had considered going to General Ferro for help, thinking of the old saying the enemy of my enemy is my friend, but it was too risky. She tried to find out more about him, asking questions under the guise of the naive princess impressed by the handsome young general, but no useful information came to light. All she managed to do was confirm some of the things Ferro implied when he talked to her, he was at odds with Hadrianen and he was a popular figure with a following of his own. The last thing Selene needed was to be in the middle of a power struggle between those two men and it was too early to tell who was the safe bet in that war.

It was time to consider another route. Etienne Valois.

Using Valois came with its own set of complications but it would have to do, especially after Selene's thwarted attempt to flee Lycaon Castle. She'd collected enough information about the guards and the staff to figure out their routines and the best time to slip away undetected, and she knew the castle well enough to find its less known hallways and exits. One night, she packed a light bag and silently made her way out. It was surprising how easy she managed to get away, but all excitement came to a halt when she reached the gates and realized she would never be able to make it through the city. The walls that divided Arcadia into different quarters had sentries and soldiers that kept a watchful eye night and day, no one came in or got out undetected.

Valois was her ticket out. Selene had been reluctant to engage in the type of schemes that were so common at court but her only choice was to play the same game. Unlike his uncle, Etienne wasn't a cautious man, he felt secure in his position and assumed that the respect and power that came with his title was enough to get him everything he wanted, he'd never known hardship and knew little of the world outside the royal courts. He could be manipulated, all it would take was the right approach, and the more time Selene spent with him the clearer the path became.

"Would you like me to read you another one?" Etienne asked in the gallant way he had begun to use whenever they spent time together. They were in the library, Selene had mentioned in passing her love of books and Valois had taken it as an invitation to read to her some atrocious prose he'd found.

Selene nodded and offered him a smile. At first, she'd been aloof and distant with him but for her plan to work she needed him to believe she was starting to fall for his charm. She needed him to like her enough to go against Hadrianen and Prince Stephane's wishes. That was going to be the hardest part, Etienne didn't have a habit of contradicting his uncle. But Selene was fairly sure that if she kept stroking his ego and giving him flirty looks she would get him there, they only problem was the lack of time.

It was a very simple plan. She would ask Etienne to take her to the Valois territories before their bonding, under the pretext of wanting to know his home and his family. And then, on the way there she would escape. It was much easier to bypass a small convoy of guards than a fortified city.

"I have a surprise for you," Etienne announced, bringing Selene back to the room and away from her thoughts. One of the servants the Valois had brought with them entered the room and handed the Duke a wooden box. "I know the claim is not official yet, but I want you to have this," he continued and gave her the box.

Selene was a little reluctant to open it and spent a minute studying the box. The top lid was adorned with golden filigree that surrounded the Valois family crest, a wolf over two crossed swords, and the latch was encrusted with emeralds. The Valois were experts at showing off their wealth, and that box was a perfect example. She knew that what awaited inside wouldn't be a simple trinket. She was right.

Etienne's gift was a diamond necklace, but it wasn't just a simple piece of jewelry, it was a choker with stones large enough to cover the length of her neck. It was a statement, claimed women covered their necks until their bonding when a bite scar would announce to the world that they were no longer available.

"Thank you. It is beautiful," she said as she traced her finger over the diamonds. It wasn't something she would've chosen for herself, to bright and ostentatious for her taste, but there was no denying that it was a gorgeous necklace.

"I want you to wear it from now on," he said, a little more forceful that Selene had expected. His tone put her on alert.

"The claim is not official," she answered. She knew the court was filled with rumors and whispers about Etienne, and everyone expected the announcement to happen soon. But something was not right with how he was acting.

"I know, but the Blue Moon is coming and Arcadia will receive visitors from all over," he said, it was easy for Selene to fill in the blanks and finish what he meant to say, and I want everyone to know you are mine.

His display of insecurity was interesting and it gave Selene something to consider. Until then, it seemed that the match between her and Etienne was fixed, a done deal that nothing could alter, but his behavior was shedding light into other possibilities.

"It would not be proper to wear it before the official announcement," she said trying to sound a little scandalized, like a maiden deeply concerned for her reputation.

Selene could tell that he was becoming a little exasperated, and for a moment she feared that their conversation could turn into a full blown argument, but he deflated after a moment of silence and seemed to be reconsidering his options.

"I could ask my godfather to bring the announcement forward," she offered, trying to fish for more information to confirm her suspicions.

He paled at her words. "That is not necessary."

His answer meant that Hadrianen knew nothing of the choker, Selene had been right in guessing that there was something more going on. She was fairly sure that the alliance with  Valois was not as solid as it appeared. They had won the first auction for her hand but it wasn't over, new players would be arriving soon and everyone knew that Hadrianen's ambition always triumphed over his honor. If someone else offered him a better deal, he would not hesitate in taking it.

"Are you sure?" she asked trying to sound reassuring.

"I am sure."

"I do love the necklace. I promise I will wear it as soon as I can," she added in an attempt to lift the mood.

It seemed to do the trick, but he didn't completely drop the subject. "I want you to promise me that you will stay close to me during the festival."

Selene gave him her best smile, the one that made her look utterly besotted, and said, "I promise."

He was visibly relieved after that and they went back to talking about books and the weather. She felt a little guilty for making him believe her feelings towards him had changed, but then she remembered how little he cared about what she wanted and the guilt subsided. It didn't matter if she had to play dirty, the ends justified the means, her freedom was what really mattered.

The dice were rolling. She could only hope that luck would be on her side.