I came out from the bath feeling heavenly clean, but nervousness tingled all over my body. Without me noticing I must have dosed myself up on venom, my hands are humming. I let the sensation go and take deep breaths, remembering myself to stay calm as to not accidently kill me. We don't actually know if it is possible for me to overdose myself, or if the venom in my tissue is giving me some sort of protection, like what the punta itself has. But it is little too dangerous to experiment with my life on the line, so I have to consider the possibility for danger.

I take some time getting in one of my nicer dresses, hiding two knives in my thin leader boots. Lastly putting up my still damp hair in a topknot, I don't have my usual darts in it, but decide to help keep it in place with some useful and decorative metal needles instead. Just in case.

The reasons I don't have any venom is:

1. That I can dose myself up whenever I want, (or don't want)

2. That Jeck is a worrywart that doesn't want me to have any sign on my apprenticeship on me, for safety reasons of course…

3. That I can't make myself to kill a punta to get it. Jeck have to do it by himself. I did follow one time in the beginning, but could not stand it! I just couldn't!

The conclusion is: no venom for me.

When I feel dressed appropriate for this strange punishment, I go outside my rooms and prepare to wait for Jeck in the empty corridor. He can forget that I will go and fetch him, punishment or no punishment. If he wants me to come with him, he will have to follow the correct order of such tings. Unfortunate I don't have to wait long before I see Jeck walk towards me, clean and neatly dressed in black. He looks stunning in the dim lights from the lamps on the walls in the corridor, while offering his arm towards me he gives me a smile. My hand shakes only slightly as I put it on his extended arm and follow him out in the night.

The clock is after midnight, I lie in my bed, looking at the stripe of moonlight that is painted on my floor, unable to fall asleep. The evening's events is going thru my head over and over again.

He had guided me to the restaurant, a fancy place for the rich. The food was pre ordered and a small table was set with the starters, two glasses of wine and a lit candle. In the distance someone was playing an instrument of some sort. Despite my worries we had a fun meal. He entertained me with small stories from his life in Misdev. The food was good and the atmosphere relaxed. But as the dessert got cleaned out his mood seamed to darken, he said:

"Tess" then noting more, that one word full of emotions.

We stood up in unison and he offered his hand as if we were to leave. I took a step closer to him magnetized. Very slowly he bends forward and gives me a soft kiss, I answered hotly. He moved away his face a bit and instead put his arm around my waist, I let him hold me. And like that, we then leave the restaurant in a silent understanding. He guides me to my room and begins to turn around to go, I grab his hand and use the momentum to turn him around, and gives him a kiss of my own. The moment extends, none of us was willingly to part. He gave me a last hug and leaved me saying he was looking forward to the coming seven punishments.

So here I am, up to my head in love with my master; a dangerous player with an unscrupulous personality. Chu pit! I curse, and turn around once more in the bed, prepared for a sleepless night as the moonlight slowly disappears.

I wake up by hearing Contessas voice in my ear.

"What have you done?! And why have you not told me! Why do I get to hear everything as the last person in this whole country?"

Drowsy I look up at her.

"What do you mean?" I do not quite understand the situation, that I must have left my door unlocked, is the first thought I manage to put together.

"That you and Jeck were out on a very intimate date yesterday of course!" She tells me, as I crawl out of my bed and splash some water in my face to wake up.

"Ah, actually that was a punishing because I lost to him" I say, finally starting to understand what Contessa is talking about.

It have to be you two, needing to put it that way" she says, one eyebrow raised.

"What?" I ask

"But please tell me! What exactly happened? I want to hear everything!" She says, and drags me down on my couch.

"Contessa, I'm still in my nightclothes, can't you wait a bit?" I say whinny.

"And beside, I didn't get to much sleep tonight so…" here I get cut of because a wide eyed Contessa hugs me tightly, cry out happily and says:

"Ohh Tess you just have to tell me everything!"

"Ah, it's not like that!" I say while blushing, understanding what conclusion she jumped to by my words.

"I just couldn't sleep because I was thinking. If you let me get dressed and finish my morning toilet I will tell you. Deal?"

Contessa pout a little, not completely satisfied. But she let me at least go and get myself ready.

When I get out again she is still sitting on my couch, in the meantime she have ordered in sandwiches and hot tea to be placed on the table in front of her. I sit down and start to try explaining yesterday's events and my feelings about them. I did not leave anything out. (Except the parts that had to do with players of course.) I tried to be hones because I was sure the rumours had already made it out to be bigger than it was already, she deserved to hear from me if anybody. To her it was a mission to get us together.

Contessa couldn't sit still as I paused to pour me some tea halfway thru my story. The tea was exactly the right temperature, and someone had put a big spoon honey in it. Lovely! As I sat and savoured the taste, Contessa looked at me, happy as a little child. I finished the story between sips on my hot cup, I expected her to ask for more details. But she just sat still; seemed to think about something. After a moment she spoke up:

"Tess I am so happy for you, but why don't you want to do it in the usual order? If we could have you engaged already like how it is normally done, it would be both better and safer for you. You know there is the possibility of children to think about." She started to sound stern. I blushed at her words. She had said it like she was a fisher wife, lecture her sailor boy for playing with girls in the docks.

It felt wrong. But I could not tell her that there was no possibility for children for either Jeck or me. The biggest possibility for us was actually disaster. So I just kept quiet, squirming around on the couch until she decided I was uncomfortable enough, and dropped the subject.

And so with new energy she jumps up, give me another fast hug and say:

"You will promise me to tell me what's happening. I don't want to know last!"

"That is the fate of the royals" I answer her, a little smile on my face.

"Sometime you even get to know the rumours about yourself last. It can be really interesting sometimes!"

"Yes, I have noticed that!" She says then stretches, fix her dress that have got a little out of place on her delicate figure, and walks toward the door. Her expression looks so much like our mother. I follow her out; the food is left untouched on my table.

The following days have flown by in a blur. We have planned, played, trained and enjoyed each others company, from morning to night each day. It feels like some unknown weight in the air has finally left me. I can concentrate so much easier when I don't need to stop myself from thinking on Jeck all the time. We tease each other massively, but we enjoy it just as much.

As an example; in tactic yesterday I let my fingers play over his hand when he reached to give me a new map. To see the shock and enjoyment in his eyes as he outwardly tries to ignore me and continue the lesson with a smirk on his lips is so fun to watch. I think I'm becoming a naughty student!

The official dinner as ambassador I have to attend this evening also has possibilities to become interesting. Jeck is not invited but I think the rumours of us will be flying around a lot. I know it is supposed to be so, but do the people really don't have better things to chit chat about. That they will imagine that I do not hear them if they just don't talk directly to me… The absurdity in that is enough to make me laugh. I am planning to use the evening to confuse them, bind then close to the crown and without them understanding how, make them agree on my or Contessas and Alexander's suggestions, even thou some of the guest think of me as a whore at the moment.

If this "scandal" had taken place in the time when I was still the princess I am not sure I could feel comfortable while dealing with it; and definitely not taken great pleasure from it in the meantime. But now I have a confidence in myself and my place in the world that I was missing then. What the nobles is thinking about me is not important anymore.

So much has happened in a short amount of time. If I only go five years back in time I could see my whole life ahead of me; as the princess with a chosen husband, living in the shadow of my parents.

But now just some years later I have found a sister I did not even know I had, lost my parents just to gain a new father in Kavenlow. I also lost my royalty only to find that even the royals are just pieces in the games we players are playing. Everything I believed to known have changed, and I can even do magic that is totally unheard of, playing even with the players themselves if I have the courage to try. I had to leave Kavenlow but found Jeck. And now we two are planning a real grand game!

I have absolutely no idea where my destiny will bring me in the future.

I shake my head, and go to meet the important dignitaries from our noble houses as well as the visiting celebrities.

"Let the game begin!"

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