Bastian caught Peregrine as she stumbled back, physically recoiling from the card. With one arm around her waist, he took the offending paper, and sure enough, Oakley was scrawled across the front in ornate letters.

  “It’s not possible.” She stated, but her confidence was laced with worry. As far as Bastian had heard, her ex-fiancé was dead and buried at sea, and wasn’t likely to come strolling up to their home in Peldeep any time soon.

  Flipping around the card to the back, Bastian read the full title.

  ~ Earl Oakley of Sumbria ~

  “They wouldn’t!” Peregrine snatched the card and read it again, worry turning to outrage. “They did! Can you believe this?!”

  “Honestly? Yes.” Assuming this wasn’t the ex-fiancé himself, then Queen Terran had sent a member of the Oakley family to oversee her new wedding. The queen was in fine form. “Maybe we should have Hiro send them away. Let Their Highness sort out the delegation - you know they would love that.”

  “Shall I?” Hiro asked. Wherever Earl Oakley had said must have been truly dreadful, since the fae looked all too happy to send them packing.

  “No, word would get back.” Peregrine crumpled up the card in her hand. “But we can leave them outside until I’m ready.”

  She looked down at her comfortable, casual daygown. The embroidery on the sleeves was expertly crafted, if Bastian said so himself, but it wasn’t the elaborate needlework and finery he’d seen worn about the Sumbrian courts.

  “I’ll help,” Lish was at Peregrine’s side immediately. “I know you’ll want to look your best in front of Lord Geoffrey’s father.”

  Bastian let go, and the two headed upstairs.

  “Lord Geoffrey?” Kiki asked.

  “Peregrine’s ex-fiancé.” Bastian replied. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced down at his own casual attire. Without much fuss, he equipped his gear. Full embossed plate, grieves, arm guards and a purple half-cape showing that he was a knight stationed at the palace. “Just the person I’d want attending our wedding.”

  If this was revenge for his besting the queen on the trip to Sumbria, he could see it - but the queen had told them that the delegation was already on route from Drendil, and so she’d planned this unpleasant surprise long before Bastian and Peregrine’s visit.

  “I need to bake something,” Hiro stated, nodding at Bastian. The fae wasn’t very good with bad news or uncomfortable conversations. He preferred a clear task, kindness, and consideration at all times.

  And right now, that task was obviously to combat discomfort with sweets. Bastian wouldn’t complain, Peregrine might need those snacks later.

  The idea of anyone making her unhappy, and this close to his home, was doing things to Bastian that he did not wish to contemplate. Namely a deep, unsettling urge to utterly destroy Earl Oakley and anything else that would upset her.

  Not very helpful for inter-kingdom political relations though, and definitely not helpful to his own stress.

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  The shaking was back, and that didn’t help either.

  “Kiki, could you do me a favor?” Bastian asked, contemplating if he should bring his sword or not, and deciding against the extra weapon.

  “What is it?” Kiki said, a smart fae who would never accept a request before hearing what it was first.

  “Could you go out the back,” Bastian waved at the patio entrance, “And inform Count Howl Fern, Peregrine’s brother, about what’s happened? He’s at the palace.”

  “I can do that.” She agreed, popping into the front area to grab her shoes before heading off through his garden back gate.

  Now all that was left to do was support Peregrine through this, and hopefully not unalive the earl in the process.

  ...

  Peregrine's POV:

  The only thing worse than being engaged to Geoffrey of Oakley, was the idea of marrying into the Oakley family.

  Earl Oakley was an older elf, with long, white-streaked hair that he kept pulled into a severe tie high at the back of his head. He had a sharp hawk-nose, and baggy brown eyes, and dressed to impress at all times.

  Even now.

  “Countess Peregrine Fern,” The earl stared down his nose at me, and outright ignored Bastian’s existence. He was standing on his carriage step so that he was a head taller. The elf wore a stiff dark grey doublet with silver buttons, a silk tunic with a long lace collar, and dark green embroidered pants that showed off his smart green treant bark short-heel boots.

  “Earl Oakley,” I nodded a greeting. A countess was, technically, higher than an earl, and I wasn’t really in the mood to pamper the elf.

  “Your tardiness is abhorrent.” His cheeks were tinged an angry red, “The gate guard at the palace told me you were here and not waiting for me at the embassy. Are you a fool, girl? This land is full of uncultured savages who might kidnap and eat you at any minute–”

  “Sounds more like Nilheim to me.” Bastian said, but the elf just kept ranting.

  “--what made you think it is acceptable to leave the palace grounds?” Earl Oakley shot a glare at Bastian and then turned back to me for answers.

  “My lord, this is my husband-to-be’s private estate, and where I will be living from now on” I explained calmly, smiling despite the way he was speaking. Every day I spent outside of Sumbria reinforced all of my father’s hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow. “But I am happy to accompany you back to the palace.”

  “You’re staying in that?” Earl Oakley looked at the manor house and scoffed. “Is this an insult to us or is that really what they call an estate in this backwards kingdom?”

  “Nation.” Bastian pointed out, “We don’t have a king.”

  Oakley turned on Bastian, “This is none of your concern, knight.”

  I would think that was obvious, since we were arm and arm coming out of the manor house in question. “This is my husband-to-be, Knight Commander Bastian of Peldeep.”

  “You are mistaken.” Oakley stated with an air of confidence.

  “I am Bastian of Peldeep,” Bastian smiled, a very toothy grin.

  “I’m sure you are - I’ve seen you following that fox around our courts.” Oakley sniffed. “But Peregrine is contracted to marry a royal.”

  Talking to Oakley was going to take a while, so I decided that it might be better for all involved if we moved this conversation to the palace. I said as much. “Earl Oakley, let us escort you back and I can show you your rooms while we explain who I’m marrying, why I’m marrying, and when I’m marrying.”

  “Not what you’re marrying?” Bastian teased under his breath and I nudged him with the arm he was holding.

  “Finally, some sense.” Oakley said, dipping back into the carriage. Before his attendant or I could move, a black knife lodged itself into the door frame where he’d just been standing. One of the attendants screamed like a small child, or perhaps that was Earl Oakley, and the carriage raced off towards the palace without us.

  “Not another assassin!” I grumbled, turning to find the source of the knife.

  “At least they weren’t aiming at you this time.” Bastian offered. “Unless they’re planning a second attack?”

  But whoever had thrown the dagger was long gone. Bastian didn’t want me anywhere close to danger, so he let Lish take a look around the block. She was back after a few minutes with news of the assassin’s escape.

  “Well, let’s head to the palace then,” I said, tugging Bastian’s arm, “We can walk slowly and enjoy the sun – if it’s going to rain through the festival and our wedding, then I want to appreciate the fine weather while it’s still here.”

  “Alright.” Bastian followed after me, a small smile on the drakin’s lips.