Lady Katarina Claes fell asleep the night before the first day of the Magic Academy with just one wish burning in her heart.

And that was to love and be loved by her beautiful fiancé, Prince Jeord Stuart, eventually.

She did not think this was a particularly terrible or cruel or even large wish to hope for. Indeed, since she had been just eight years old, she had been both engaged to and in love with him! And she had spent quite a lot of her life from eight to fifteen trying to do whatever she could to fashion herself into being his perfect bride and the love of his life, scouring everything from the hushed advice given around girls' only tea-parties to her mother's words of wisdom about securing her man (dubious as it was, given the state of the Claes marriage) to the rather… racy love manuals that showed handsome men falling all over normal enough women.

But though she had enacted every one of the plans she had ever found on Jeord with the maniacal determination of a girl in love who knew she was bound to marry him sooner or later – all of Katarina's precious plans failed.

Her plan to woo him from an early age by sending him flowers, hearts, and singing minstrels every day to demonstrate how deeply she adored him? Failed. Apparently, he did not much enjoy her poetic musings or ability to rhyme "I am a fan of" with "your banana," though she had thought the wordplay clever indeed.

Her plan to ingratiate herself to him by master his hobbies and use them to become closer to him? Failed. The one time she played chess against him and nearly beat him had apparently counted as near "emasculation" and her attempting to duel him was deemed an act of lèse-majesté. She had received a very strong warning from the crown itself that an obedient future wife did not attempt to stick red hot blades near her future husband's face – though Katarina had sincerely thought it would spice up Jeord's life, given how often he moaned about being bored.

Her plan to learn horse-riding so that she follow Jeord around whenever he went horse-riding with his best friend, Lord Nicol? Failed. Apparently, even though she had asked him to let her accompany him several time – only to receive no response back – her doing so counted as an invasion of his privacy.

So it went, with Katarina's every attempt to appeal to her future husband backfiring on her in one way or another. And though Katarina desperately wanted to have as happy of a marriage as she could with Prince Jeord – after all, she had to go through with it one way or another, given the iron-clad marital contracts involved, and the fact that she would be utterly ruined in Sorcier if she refused – she simply could not understand what she could do to appeal to him.

She had even asked Prince Jeord if he could just tell her what it was that she needed to do to make him happy. But he had just smiled sweetly – in that way that sometimes ignited a secret sense of rage that Katarina knew she must never, ever, ever display in her words or on her face – and told her that she was perfect as is.

But Katarina – for all her faults – was not stupid. She knew that however hard she tried, Prince Jeord did not love her and that even if they married right after the Academy, he might well forsake her for a woman he actually adored eventually. It wasn't as though it was impossible or even uncommon for noblemen to marry women and father children that they would later neglect for a prized mistress or beloved bastard children.

That had happened to Katarina's very own mother and Katarina herself, after all.

And whatever else happened in Katarina's life, she did not want to replay the tragedy of her mother's as well – let alone subject her future child to her own hell.

So it was that the night before Katarina entered the Magic Academy at the age of eighteen and did her best to win Prince Jeord's heart, she called upon the heavens to grant her heart's wish.

"Please," she told whatever kind deity might be listening, "let me start my relationship with Prince Jeord fresh starting tomorrow. Please let him give me a chance and not be stolen away by some other woman eventually! All I want to do is show him how much I love him and want to start a happy life with him – and not have him turn away immediately! Give me just the chance to woo him! Please!"

And when Lady Katarina Claes woke up the next day, it was to a changed world that finally allowed her wish to blossom.

The next day, Katarina's world had completely changed, though she never did fully realize it.

Her day began as normal, after all. Anne had woken her up at the crack of dawn, as she always did, and though Katarina had grumbled and been confused by Anne telling her that she could not take her favorite farming hoe to school with her – since when had Katarina been involved with manual labor? – Katarina had shrugged it off as one of Anne's stranger jokes and readied herself for the hours of travel ahead.

Yet if Anne had been acting a little off in the morning, Katarina's half-brother – Keith Claes – was even more so. Because the first action that Keith took upon seeing Katarina tucking into her toast and eggs at the breakfast table was not to avoid her – as he had sensibly done since the time they were both eight years old – but to make a beeline to her, thrust his face into hers, and ask: "Sister, are you prepared for the day ahead of us?"

Needless to say, Katarina ended up taking an accidental revenge on Keith destroying her family by spraying him in the face with bits of her meal.

But the even more bizarre fact was that Keith did not seem to mind.

Indeed, instead of getting up in a huff and stomping away from the breakfast table – as she would have done, had her estranged sibling suddenly showered her with regurgitated eggs – he just smiled haplessly at her, like a doting uncle, and wiped the bits from his face.

"Sorry, sister," he tenderly said. "I should have known that you were too excited about entering the Academy to eat properly. Next time, I give you plenty of notice that I am here and ready to support you. You know I always want to make sure you have everything you want or need.

But Katarina – whose jaw was now down to her lap – was very sure that was not the case with the Keith that she knew. After all, they had completely ignored one another after a tumultuous childhood where she had spent a lot of time crying and screaming while he had sobbed and ran away. So far as she could tell, they had nothing in common, wanted nothing to do with one another, and were best off living very far away from one another.

But it seemed as though Keith thought differently. And even as Katarina watched in a state of advanced shock as Keith went on to place all her favorite foods on her plate – and how did he know what they were? Had he been watching her?! – a suspicion slowly began to blossom in Katarina's mind.

"Keith," she said, very slowly and with just a hint of ire in her voice, "you certainly do seem to be very attentive to me this morning."

He looked at her with a gaze that really was quite disturbing, coming from a half-brother. "I like to think I am attentive every morning, sister. With you, who could not be?"

"You would be surprised," Katarina responded, even as cold fear began to engulf her, "how many people – and men – fall into that category."

Keith just smiled, the expression all the more disturbing for being surprisingly alluring this close to her. "More fools them, for you are worth all the attention in the world."

And that was when Katarina realized – to her utter horror – that her half-brother must be trying to seduce her to make sure she did not abscond with his upcoming title and fortune.

It made all too much sense, Katarina thought, as Keith lovingly began to shove honey-sweetened porridge into her mouth. After all, if she married Prince Jeord, any child beyond their first could contest Keith and his children's right to the Duchy of House Claes. And Katarina's children would win the favor of her maternal family, the powerful ducal Adeth house, as well as the backing of the royal crown – while Keith could count only Luigi Claes for support.

But if Keith could somehow seduce Katarina, rendering her spoiled goods, and making her unfit to be with Prince Jeord in marriage…

Katarina slapped away the next spoon of porridge that Keith was aiming at her mouth and then stopped his motion altogether by pouncing on him in his chair, pinning him down with her surprisingly strong hands until he could not move at all.

And even as Keith's face turned cherry red – no doubt out of sheer embarrassment over Katarina realizing his cunning ploy – she began to speak.

"You," she told him with cold menace, "have been a very, very, very naughty boy, Keith Claes. Do you want to know why, hmmm? Do you want me to tell you why you upset me?"

Keith's own jaw was now nearly at his lap. Satisfied that the pole-axed expression on his face meant that he was suitably intimidated, Katarina went on.

"You," she said, gripping his chin in one hand even as she lightly ran her claws over his face from brow to lips and back again, "seem to think that you are on the path to seducing me. You think your handsome face, your beautiful body, your gorgeous hair, and your sensual allure will be enough to win me over despite your calling me sister. That is what you have always wanted, haven't you?"

Keith's mouth made a series of noises that did not quite resemble human speech.

"Well," she told him tartly, even as she traced her fingers over his loathsome lips and imagined coating them with poison, "your little ploy isn't going to work. You may want to get me on my knees, begging for mercy – but in the end, I will be the one standing over you with the whip. And no amount of your sensual charm is about to sway me either!"

Keith looked like he was now on the verge of collapsing.

"Oh yes," Katarina purred, putting in forbidden scenario #583 that she had read from her racy novels into play – though less to seduce than to intimidate. "I know what a gorgeous playboy you are – and I am not about to bend over to your whims. You are going to have to do much better before you can make me your slave. Because remember..."

Here, Katarina treated Keith to her most magnificent sneer – even as she roughly grabbed him by his luscious locks and tugged his face so close that he could see how serious she was.

"I," she said coldly, "am still your elder sister, even if you have taken away the Duchy from me. And if you ever try this nonsense again, little brother, I will take you on my knees and spank you until you can't even speak."

And that was when Keith promptly fainted.

Not surprisingly, this caused a commotion among the servants who had been staring at their interplay in shock. But Katarina – knowing this was likely some devilish ploy of Keith's to make her late for the Academy and thus, unable to meet her beloved Prince Jeord – just rolled her eyes and ordered her carriage to take off on time.

After all, she had no time for the conniving half-brother who was clearly out to seduce and ruin her. Not when she had a prince to win over!

By the time Katarina was finally at the entrance ceremony of the Academy, she was besieged by the somewhat depressing realization that she had a surprising number of new sycophants flocking to her.

To some extent, of course, Katarina had already become used to it. Not only was she the daughter of Duke Claes and the granddaughter of Duke Adeth, but she had also been engaged to Prince Jeord Stuart – currently the most promising contender for the royal throne – for the past ten years. Given the strength of that marital contract, nothing short of death or exile on her part (or his) would dissolve that impending marriage either. Thus, Katarina's chances of becoming the future Queen of Sorcier were very high, if not quite guaranteed – and over the years, many an ambitious nobleman or woman had tried to curry favor from her over the years.

Mostly, Katarina held herself aloof from these conniving schemers, knowing that court life was full of them. Of course, she had several good friends of her own – with Lady Sienna Nelson being particularly close to her, even though Lady Sienna was just the daughter of a poor country baron. But usually, she brushed off the would-be sycophants with little more than a snub, a sneer, or (should they persist in bothering her) a pointed sniff about their audacity in bothering a possible queen-to-be. Thankfully, everyone but the dimmest tended to stop trying to flatter and free up future favors from her once she got to that point. And she had her own ways of dealing with dimwits as well.

But she had never been approached by Lady Mary Hunt and Lady Sophia Ascart before – much less carted off by them at the end of the Academy's opening ceremony, before she could even greet her beloved Prince Jeord – and taken off to tea.

And as Katarina quietly sipped her excellent cup of rose flavored black tea and helped herself to the mountain of sweets while both women fawned over her, she started wondering how to cultivate both ladies this year.

After all, she was now eighteen and soon to be married. Once her wedding took place, she would become Jeord's princess consort and be expected to rule over her own miniature court to prepare for the day when he would hopefully become Sorcier's next king. And to help him ascend to the throne, she needed to cultivate powerful ladies-in-waiting and their families to throw their support behind him, instead of any of his brothers.

(Granted, First Prince Jeffrey was barely a contender for the throne given the many seedy dealings he was involved in… and Fourth Prince Alan had been outshone by Jeord for many years. Only Second Prince Ian could possibly contend with Jeord for the throne – but he was backed by a powerful ducal family, the Burkes … which Katarina was determined not to let the outshine the Claes!)

Granted, Katarina privately wondered whether Lady Mary Hunt and Lady Sophia Ascart were all that powerful in and of themselves. She had often heard of Lady Mary being praised as being the "perfect lady" and certainly, the red head was a beauty. However, Lady Mary was saddled with the least promising of the royal princes, was merely from a Marquisate instead of a Ducal House, and had a powerless maternal family. And meanwhile, while Katarina privately felt a little sorry for the bullying that Lady Sophia often endured, Lady Sophia was far too timid to be of much use (or interest) to Katarina.

Indeed, Katarina generally admired people who were as strong and bold as herself. She cherished Sienna as her closest friend precisely because Sienna was a strong, independent person determined to claw her way up the social ladder despite coming from such a humble family. Compared to that, Katarina could not much admire intensely vulnerable people like Lady Sophia, who always needed her brother to protect her.

Katarina herself was no innocent to be protected from the world. People sometimes whispered that she was cold, cunning, and even cruel – but she had always taken those adjectives as compliments. After all, what would-be queen could possibly afford to be sweet and yielding in a cut-throat noble society that went after any sign of weaknesses like sharks scenting blood in the water?

And personally, Katarina could not respect any woman who made herself so helpless.

But as Katarina smiled and helped herself to a variety of cakes and sweets during tea while Lady Mary and Lady Sophia chattered away, she decided that she would still give both women a chance to become her future ladies-in-waiting. After all, Lady Mary was clearly a cunning and ambitious young lady – and as Katarina's future sister-in-law, she was poised to both help and be helped by Katarina's ascension to queenship. And while Lady Sophia used to be a timid wallflower, she had somehow blossomed into a much more confident lady whose connection to her brother – likely Jeord's future Prime Minister – could be leveraged.

Yet even though Katarina had decided that she would become good friends with both of the young ladies who had all-but-kidnapped her to attend their tea party, she was still startled by the strange intimacy they presumed with her, as though they had been close for years. Thus, when Lady Sophia eventually asked Katarina whether she had read all the romance novels that Lady Sophia sent to her this summer, all Katarina could do was say: "Excuse me?"

Looking crestfallen, Lady Sophia murmured: "Oh, I'm so sorry, Katarina… did you not enjoy any of the novels I sent you? I know you like less… racy fiction, so I tried to find novels that were cleaner than the ones I have been reading recently. But please forgive me if they bored you!"

Trying to salvage their growing connection, Katarina ended up saying: "Pray forgive me, my dear. I am afraid I must have… mislaid the books you sent. You know how scatterbrained I can be."

Lady Mary looked understanding at that, although Katarina was still surprised when the bosomy beauty ended up taking Katarina's hand in her own and gazing passionately into her eyes to show her sympathy.

"Not to worry," Lady Mary said, flashing a smile at Katarina. "I am more than happy to help you with your scatterbrained tendencies now that we are all at the Academy. Indeed, the two of us could have many private study sessions together. Just us, locked alone at the library or in my private suite, where no one else can possibly see…"

And even as Lady Sophia squeaked in indignation and protested that she wanted to be a part of those private study sessions as well, Katarina decided that it would be good for her to show that she was learned in her own way as well.

"That would be lovely," she said at last, gently taking Lady Mary's hand in her left and Lady Sohpia's hand in her right – a simple act that somehow sent blushes blossoming on both of their pretty faces. "And anyway, I have been reading a few manuals as of late. I wanted to prepare me for my adult years and so, I started perusing some fascinating reading materials. Tell me, have either of you heard of Venus in Furs or Fashionable Lectures Composed and Delivered with Birch Discipline?"

Both ladies looked confused but fascinated so, Katarina began detailing her summer reading list – which ran heavy on all sorts of texts about dominant women that she had been consuming in the hopes of seducing her beloved Prince Jeord, who clearly needed excitement to stay engaged in bed. And since Lady Mary was saddled with Prince Alan – who somehow seemed immune to her lush charms – and poor Lady Sophia had no suitors at all, Katarina thought they might also benefit from her education.

Katarina had always been very gracious and thoughtful that way. And certainly, she always looked out for the wellbeing of her lady friends. After all, they deserved to know just as many bedroom techniques as she!

Thankfully, it seemed as though Katarina's instinct to bond with them over seduction tactics had been the right one. For by the time that Katarina was finished detailing to them how she had learned about becoming a powerful woman who made her chosen prey into her love slaves using a variety of psychological and physical techniques, both seemed quite… affected.

Indeed, at the end of Katarina's first educational hour, Lady Mary's luscious bosom heaved with an intensity that demonstrated how anxious Lady Mary was to marry her own handsome prince, while Lady Sophia seemed to have fallen into some altered state of mind where she could do nothing more than stare at Katarina while squeaking intermittently.

Eventually, Lady Mary had been so grateful for Katarina's support with Prince Alan that she ended up taking Katarina's arm in her own, caressing and even kissing the limb with sisterly tenderness.

"Oh, my sweet Katarina!" Lady Mary cried, looking ecstatic at the thought of her coming union with Prince Alan. "You have no idea how much I long to see you use those delightful… implements you have trained with! I thought you were talented only at using gardening tools – but how dearly I underestimated you!"

And before Katarina could inquire as to why Lady Mary would presume that Katarina was talented at gardening – which was a fine hobby but not one that Katarina pursued – Lady Sophia surprised her by leaping at her too.

"Katarina!" the young white-haired woman said, even as she began kissing Katarina's hand ardently as well. "Don't forget me as well during those lessons! You have no idea how much I also want to learn from you!"

Well, Katarina thought, even though she remained confused about how grateful both young ladies were. I suppose poor Lady Sophia needs all the help she can get to win herself a suitor, given her odd looks. I shall have to do whatever I can to help her find a good husband soon!

So Katarina flashed them both a gracious smile and said, "My dear ladies, my suite is always open to you. Please come by during any night… and I promise to show you delights you have never even dreamed of before. I will make strong, sensual, and dominant women out of the both of you. And of course, I will personally demonstrate every technique I read about for you."

Both women looked near ready to swoon and Katarina internally praised herself for knowing just how to make young women who were clearly anxious about romance feel better about themselves.

Eventually, Katarina left them both at the tea table to go to her next class by herself. And if both girls looked a little dazed, they assured her that as soon as they were able to get up from their chairs from, er, overeating, they would join her.

So, although Katarina acknowledged that perhaps she had said too much for a first meeting, at least she seemed well on her way toward making Lady Mary and Lady Sophia good friends and study partners. If nothing else, both women had been remarkably enthusiastic about meeting Katarina in her private suite to discuss more about her techniques… and to see her even demonstrate them also.

It was a promising sign for her future in the Academy, if nothing else. So off Katarina went with a light heart and good spirits and hope that this day would finish far better than it started.

After her next class – wherein she had thankfully finally been able to meet with Sienna, who looked surprised to see her initially but thankfully returned to being her normal and sincere friend swiftly – Katarina decided to find Jeord by heading into the Student Council office.

Unfortunately, in her trembling state of excitement at the thought of being alone with her beloved, Katarina had miscalculated where he might be. And it was only when she found herself staring at Lord Nicol Ascart alone in the office that she realized that even her beloved Prince Jeord would need to take a few exams before he was placed on the student council.

Yet though Katarina regretted another lost opportunity to woo her beloved, she decided that she would make the best of matters. After all, Lord Nicol Ascart was her darling Prince Jeord's closest friend and his future Prime Minister. Since she was already taking steps to become closer to his younger sister, it would behoove her to become friendly with him as well.

Thus, smiling, she entered the room – although she was admittedly a little shocked to see the gentle smile cresting Lord Nicol's incredibly handsome face when he saw her.

Now that, she admitted, was quite the change of pace! Lord Nicol had never been uncivil to her – but he had never been very friendly either. And he had always been miserly with his facial expressions, with Katarina counting it as a surprise when she so much as saw his brow twitch. He was the sort of man who could be immersed within a boiling pot without him so much as changing his look.

Yet now he was smiling at her – sweetly and sincerely. So perhaps that meant he too had decided to make peace with the future wife of his future liege?

Smiling herself at this newest sign that perhaps Prince Jeord was warming up to her after all, Katarina bowed gracefully. And then, standing up, she said in her friendliest voice: "My dear Lord Nicol! How good it is to see you here!"

He blinked a little at that, looking a little surprised. "Indeed? Katarina, I too am happy to have encountered you – though I did not think to see you so swiftly."

Katarina laughed self-consciously and decided not to tell Lord Nicol that he was not the person she was looking for either. Instead, she put on her most charming smile and replied: "Ah, but that makes my visit to you a pleasant surprise, doesn't it? And isn't that lovely to experience right before we plunge into the regular miseries of schooling?"

Lord Nicol smiled again, surprising Katarina once more. "No doubt. And any encounter with you is a pleasant surprise, my lady."

For a moment, Katarina stood stock still, not sure how to respond. Then, deciding that Lord Nicol might be engaging in a little chivalrous complimenting, she decided to: "Lord Nicol, you are much too kind to me! And truly, I am glad to have had the chance to encounter you on my first day at the Academy. After all, I just finished speaking to Lady Sophia, and she assured me that you would want to see me."

That was apparently the right thing to say, if the subtle blush on Lord Nicol's face meant anything. "She – she said that? Sophia says much too much sometimes."

Well, Sophia hadn't said much of anything at all after Katarina had finished detailing the best way to use a riding crop on a submissive's bottom. But Katarina wasn't sure she wanted to tell that to Sophia's older brother.

So instead, Katarina murmured: "Well, our dear Sophia also told me something every interesting about you, Lord Nicol. She told me that now that you are but a year away from graduation, you are taking the search for a wife seriously. And I wanted to let you know that I would do anything to help you find the woman of your dreams."

And even as Katarina drifted closer to a suddenly still Lord Nicol, she was sure that she was on the right track to endearing herself to him. After all, before her conversation with Lady Sophia and Mary had become an educational lecture on the art of pleasing others in unorthodox ways, Lady Sophia had been very insistent on her brother's need for a wife.

Katarina could see why. Lord Nicol was already nineteen yet he had no prospective bride. Clearly, he needed to be fixed with someone – ideally, someone who would help him become the Prime Minister that Prince Jeord would need in coming years. Lord Nicol needed to be with a woman as savvy and intelligent and good at court politics as Katarina herself. Only that sort of woman would prove to be agile at promoting Lord Nicol's – and Prince Jeord's – interest.

And that was when Katarina realized that she knew the perfect woman for Lord Nicol. For who would suit better than her beloved friend, Lady Sienna Nelson? Sienna was beautiful, brilliant, hard-working, and extremely loyal. If anything, Lord Nicol Ascart did not deserve Sienna, for all that he was higher than her on the noble pecking order!

Yet now that Katarina realized she knew just how to tie Lord Nicol to her cause of elevating Jeord while also making him and her dearest friend happy, she was a woman on a mission. And as she came closer and closer to Lord Nicol – even as the startled look on his face increased – she realized just what she had to do presently.

"Lord Nicol," she purred softly, even as a soft smile gently came to her face. "You are a man who deserves the best in life. And all I want to do is to give it to you."

Lord Nicol continued to say nothing, although he went from standing to sort of collapsing on a nearby chair. Taking that as a hopeful sign that he was taking her seriously, Katarina bent over and gently placed her hands on his shoulder as an elder sister might during a session of serious counsel.

"You," she reminded him, "are among the most amazing men any woman could meet. Not only are you peerlessly handsome – tut tut, no denying it, I know you have a looking glass in your room – you are truly a wonderful person. You are the best brother one could ever have, an invaluable adviser to any prince by your side, and so brilliant, all of Sorcier will soon benefit from your wisdom. All you need is an equally wonderful wife to make your life complete."

Lord Nicol continued being silent, though he was breathing harder than ever. Smiling and gently caressing his shoulders, Katarina went on.

"And I know just the woman for you, Lord Nicol. She is passionate, brilliant, ready to be… plucked… and I know that she dreams of you nightly."

This got him to speak at last, even though his voice sounded quite dazed.

"She does?" he asked, amazed.

"Oh yes!" Katarina assured him, as Sienna surely would begin to do so soon if she was not yet in love with the infamous Devilish Earl. "Then again, what woman wouldn't be mad about you? You are the perfect blend of hard and soft, firm yet gentle, stern and yet so very sweet…"

Indeed, Katarina knew she would be in some danger of succumbing to Lord Nicol's notorious charms herself if she was not so loyal to Prince Jeord. Indeed, even as she hovered over him, she had to admit to enjoying his dark beauty – though of course she would never stray from her beloved groom-to-be!

But that did not mean she could not enjoy the gorgeous view that Lord Nicol was offering. And so, smiling devilishly, Katarina went on with Lord Nicol's eyes locked on her face.

"You," she murmured, "are a prize and you deserve a woman who will cherish and adore you. And I would move heaven and earth if I needed to in order to bring your bride to you."

Lord Nicol's eyes were now half-lidded, even as his breathing was slow and ponderous beneath her.

"Would you?" he asked softly, as though not quite believing this was not just a dream.

"Of course!" Katarina assured him, even as she gently cupped and caressed Lord Nicol's cheeks in a brotherly way – for after all, was Sienna not as close to her as a sister? "I promise you the greatest happiness that I can deliver. My dear Devilish Earl, once I am done with you, you will know all there is to know about all the pleasures that marriage can bring."

And if Lord Nicol seemed a little reluctant to let her go after that – his hand coming to catch her sleeve momentarily as she flitted away – Katarina just smiled, gave him a saucy wink before she left the student council office, and laughed as she wandered off.

After all, if Lord Nicol trusted her judgement that much, it would be as easy as pie to bring him and her beloved Sienna together. Not only would that make the future couple extremely happy, but it would also bring joy to Katarina's heart to see her friend marrying such an illustrious bachelor – and perhaps even endear Prince Jeord towards her. For how could Prince Jeord not be grateful toward Katarina for arranging his best friend's future so well?

She could see nothing but upsides in her scheming for Lord Nicol and Sienna's happiness! And with that happy thought in mind, Katarina continued wandering about to see where her own fiancé might be.

Unfortunately, a half-hour of wandering about led to no sign of Prince Jeord. Thus, sulking and feeling low, Katarina ended up wandering the now-emptying corridors of the Academy by herself, wondering why she had met with so many except for the man she wanted the most.

Eventually though, she ended up hearing an expertly played concerto coming from another room. Enraptured despite herself – and holding onto the faint hope that perhaps it was Prince Jeord giving so great a performance – Katarina ended up coming into a small musical conservatory that she was not even sure was part of the Academy.

And though she could see from the pianist's distinctive hair that it was the fourth and not third prince who was playing so well, Katarina could not help but be ravished by the beauty that he produced.

Indeed, after he was finished, Katarina had to enthusiastically applaud his performance when he finished – though the sound of her appreciation made him whirl around and ask: "What the hell, Katarina?! What are you doing here?"

It was more than a little rude of him to address her as just Katarina – but then again, she magnanimously decided, he was her future brother-in-law and she was becoming close to his future bride. And anyway, Prince Alan was notorious for his rough-and-tumble ways, his habit of dressing more like a highwayman than a prince, and his general tendency to snub the rules of polite society. Yet since he might still be an important support to Prince Jeord in the future, Katarina was willing to let it go – and even treat him like she would her own younger brother.

At the very least, she was sure that Prince Alan would not go about attempting to seduce her the way her own nefarious sibling had tried his morning. After all, why would Prince Alan do something so outlandish? He would never betray his own twin brother in so vile a manner and he was already engaged to the lovely Lady Mary. So Katarina felt very sure about pursuing a closer relationship with him in the hopes that he would support his twin brother and herself after the Academy.

Thus, instead of curtsying formally to him as she would with any other member of the royal family, Katarina just grinned at him and said: "Oh, Alan. How could I not follow your beautiful trail of song? Given the marvelous talents that you displayed today, I could not help but glory in the beauty you unleashed!"

Oddly, Prince Alan actually blushed at her words, though Katarina hoped it was more out of embarrassment than indignation. Roughly, he muttered: "Yeah, well. I only got into music because of you, after all. So I guess it's good that you appreciate what I'm doing."

Katarina was not quite sure how to respond to Prince Alan's… jest for a moment, before she decided that he must have a stranger sense of humor than she ever realized.

"Well," she replied after a brief pause, "I am grateful to hear you play regardless of your motivation. You truly are a virtuoso talent, Alan! My God, my heart feels as though it's singing after hearing you play!"

That was the truth, however much Katarina wanted to draw Prince Alan closer to her and Prince Jeord's side in the upcoming power struggles. After all, the best sort of flattery was that grounded in honesty – and Katarina was more than willing to acknowledge the talents of others when they pleased her.

The blush growing on his face, Prince Alan lightly scratched the back of his head and gruffly said: "Well… thanks. It's always nice to hear you say that. Not everybody agrees that a prince ought to spend his time on piano playing so… so it's good to know I could make you happy."

That was when Katarina, while quietly considering why Prince Alan seemed so shy about his talents, realized what was happening.

After all, she had not spent so many years pining over her adored Prince Jeord without realizing some of the dynamics in his family. She knew all too well that Prince Jeord had long resented the attention that his parents – especially his ever-busy mother, Queen Rosamund – paid to the sickly baby of their family, Prince Alan, from the time they were young. Yet it struck her that just as Prince Jeord harbored his own secret resentment, perhaps Prince Alan did as well.

It was not easy for any man to languish in the shadow of a brother who was often referred to as an all-around genius and the probable future king of their nation – no matter how much that man might excel at other talents.

(And perhaps there was a part of Katarina that yearned to also be acknowledged as accomplished in her own right, instead of merely being viewed as the wealthy bride to that same genius. But if that part of her still existed after many years of repression, she would not acknowledge it).

So it was that Katarina – in equal parts calculation and consideration – then walked up to Prince Alan to take his hands in her own.

After all, she thought magnanimously, she was his future sister by marriage. And if Prince Alan needed to know that he was astounding even compared to his shining brother, she was more than happy to tell him so. It would be nice for her to have a brother she did not alternately resent and ignore, after all!

So, smiling gently at Prince Alan as she tenderly squeezed his hands, she whispered: "Oh Alan. Of course you make me happy! Even though I know we have not spent nearly enough time together, I would be overjoyed to do so in the future! And now that we are both attending the Academy together, we could meet constantly!"

Prince Alan blinked at her several times before he finally replied.

"R-really? You would want to meet more often with me?!"

"Of course I would," Katarina replied confidently. "In fact, I am so enamored with your music that I would adore the chance to hear more of it! And if you do not mind, perhaps I could even help you come up with some lyrics! I am only a decent singer but I could help you compose something along the lines of an operetta. Wouldn't that be such an enjoyable use of our talents?"

Indeed, that seemed just the sort of bonding ritual that a true sister would undertake with a beloved brother, And it would give Katarina leave to exercise all of her pent-up artistic talents and find new ways to woo her beloved. Even if Prince Jeord did not love her poetic attempts to rhyme "adored" and "reward" with "Jeord," he might appreciate her singing of her love!

Smiling at the dreamy thought of her new-found brother helping her better connected to her intended, Katarina softly told Alan: "I could not imagine anything in the world that I would like to do than make beautiful music with you, my dear prince. So won't you please let me join you in doing so?"

Alan's face went bright red – perhaps because he was thinking of wooing Lady Mary even as she wooed her prince as well via Katarina's sauciest techniques.

"I," he said, blinking so hard at her that his eyelashes were fluttering. "I – I would love that. If you're serious, I mean."

"Absolutely!" Katarina cried, squeezing his hand. "Given your genius and my compositional talents, I am sure we would do an astounding job composing beautiful operettas together! And anyway, just imagine…"

She sighed dreamily, staring deeply into Prince Alan's beautiful blue eyes – so much like his twin brother's.

"Just imagine," she said softly, "how easy it will be to fall in love due to our music. How our melodies and our harmonies will enrapture those who listen to it… how the passion we instill within our verse will capture the hearts of our audience… how everyone who hears our work will realize just how much tenderness and love comes through in it…"

Prince Alan looked as though he was imagining that very, very intently.

"I cannot wait," she whispered at last, her hands gently traveling from his palms to his arms and then to his shoulders to hold him in a sisterly embrace, "to spend my next few years at the Academy making art with you. Who knows what could happen once our brilliance is unleashed?"

Indeed, the more Katarina thought of her plan to work with Prince Alan to compose beautiful music, the more excited she became. She could use their music to woo Prince Jeord and demonstrate how talented she happened to be, while Prince Alan could woo Lady Mary and make all of Sorcier acknowledge his virtuosity.

What a win-win scenario this happened to be!

Enthralled with her own cunning, Katarina ended up sweeping Prince Alan into a tight embrace to show how much her dear her new brother was becoming to her. And then, right against his flushed ear, she whispered: "I can only hope to equal your genius someday, my dear prince. But I will do my best to make you proud of me."

At that, Prince Alan suddenly fell abruptly – though thankfully the piano bench beneath him was able to catch him before he made too ignominious a picture of the royal rear.

And after Katarina tried to make sure he was okay – only to get a few dazed words about how he was fine and looking forward to working with her starting tomorrow – Katarina shrugged, bent down to give her new brother a gentle kiss on the cheek, and waltzed away happy with her newfound schemes.

Yet though she was largely satisfied with how she had passed her first day at the Academy, Katarina could not help but be frustrated that she had only seen a glimpse of her beloved Prince Jeord from afar at the entrance ceremony. After all, as wonderful as it was to reconnect with Sienna and grow closer to Lady Mary, Lady Sophia, Lord Nicol, and Prince Alan – Prince Jeord was and always would be her first love and Katarina's heart still yearned for him.

Which was why she ended up feeling both exhilarated and astounded when she finally came back to her personal Academy suite at the end the evening – only to have Anne hand her a note that shocked her to her core.

My Dearest Katarina – the note read – though I have unfortunately been unable to meet with you throughout the day thanks to your usual retinue of friends, I hope that you will be able to attend a private dinner with me tonight. Please do send a note in reply and I will have a retainer direct you to my suite.

Then, to her trembling shock and awe, the note concluded:

Your Ever-Charmed Fiancé, Prince Jeord Stuart.

That was when Katarina finally realized that her wish from last night might be coming true after all – although ensuring her future happiness would no doubt rest on her shoulders.

And given the hard work she had done to dazzle Prince Jeord once they were finally alone… Katarina knew she could leave nothing whatsoever to chance – even if it meant smuggling certain implements underneath the expansive skirts of her most beautiful evening dress.

Thus, fortified by hope and many preparations, Katarina sailed off to experience what would be a most memorable evening.

Author's Notes:

Though I've never written any My Next Life fic set within the "mainstream" Isekai'd Katarina/Bakarina timeline before, I was simply too intrigued by Palhinhaea's prompt regarding how Original Katarina Claes might do in such a setting to resist writing a short miniseries showcasing her antics in such a world. And while this series will be a short one consisting of only two chapters, I had a ridiculous amount of fun writing it.

After all, it turns out the isekai'd version of Katarina (aka Bakarina) isn't the *only* Katarina who is incredibly clueless about other people's romantic inclinations - and incredibly good at seducing them without realizing it. So I do hope you enjoy this little tale about her adventures "abroad"! And as always, comments are greatly appreciated!