Sariel arrived shortly after she left, his black hair falling in his narrow lavender eyes, his expression inscrutable behind his thin black glasses frames. It was extremely unusual for him to invade my privacy, and I could venture a guess at what would bring him now. I glared up at him in annoyance. This news could have waited until later.

"Has the king finally died?" I asked.

"Yes," he said quietly, crossing his arms over his black snakeskin print jacket and strange dark purple sash. "And I understand that your new maid would be an excellent candidate for Belle."

Now, finally, Rhodolite would be able to move on from the mistakes my father had made. That should have been my one and only thought. But Ivetta as the next Belle…Belle, a woman with a pure and beautiful heart. Ivetta fit that definition so perfectly that I couldn't argue the point, but there was no way she could fulfill that role unless she moved into the palace. And to do that, she'd have to be separated from her mother, which she would never agree to. Sariel would undoubtedly force the issue by attempting to move her mother here, which would either kill the woman outright or speed her demise.

And then, after the month as measured by Beauty's Time, Ivetta would be forced to leave, never to return. She would be alone. Absolutely, completely alone.

I shouldn't care. But I did.

"No."

Sariel's eyes widened momentarily, his black-gloved fingers tapping the white cuffs of his shirt sleeves. "You are opposed?"

"It is unnecessary to choose a Belle at all. I will be the next king. That was decided at my birth," I said firmly.

He sighed, shifting his weight on his black boots, a series of black belts squeaking around his black-clad legs. "In any other kingdom, that would be the case, but you know very well that the title of your mother and your birth order have no bearing here in Rhodolite."

"The Belle Covenant is a foolish tradition and a precious waste of time. The kingdom is vulnerable as long as it is without a king," I argued. This had been my thought long before Ivetta entered the picture.

"Which is why Belle must be chosen immediately, so you'll need a better reason for me not to choose Ivetta," Sariel retorted.

I closed my book and stood up, walking past him to the door. This whole conversation was a waste of time. I needed to talk to Leon and call a round table meeting - do something of actual importance.

"She won't agree to it," I said simply, intending to leave it at that.

"Then I will persuade her," Sariel said smoothly.

"No, you won't," I snapped, turning back toward him with a sharp glare. Even I was startled by my sudden anger, but I made no effort to curb it. "You won't lay a hand on her unless you're prepared to lose it."

He furrowed his brow. "So it's true. You do like her."

"Whether I do or don't like her is none of your affair. She is my maid, and she is under my protection." I closed the space between us and shoved his jacket aside, yanking his hidden whip free from his belt. "Do you understand?" I asked, pushing the leather coils in his face.

He took a step back, his lavender eyes widening slightly, but nodded. "I understand. But I still intend to discuss the matter with her first thing in the morning." He grabbed at the whip, but I maintained my grip on it.

"Discuss it, then, if you wish to waste your time and hers. I have more important matters to attend to, such as convening a round table to discuss our kingdom's future. If you interfere in any way, I will not hesitate to deal with you accordingly. Have I made myself clear?"

"Perfectly, your highness," he said tightly, smiling as he usually did when I scared the living daylights out of him.

I released the whip and left. The death of the king could only be hidden from our enemies for so long, and now was the time to take action regarding Obsidian's secret dealings. That had to be my priority. But my threat to Sariel had been real. He didn't need two hands to maintain his position as court minister and king's regent. And if he dared to touch that whip to Ivetta, I would use it to strangle him without a second thought.