“Alright, Therija, Raycor, it’s time we go ta check on our home. Dani’s got things ta do.” Reshi’s voice came through the open door, and Dani looked up in surprise. When she saw who was with Reshi, her eyes widened, and she let out an embarrassing little squeak as she pulled her robe tighter around herself. It was Wulfram! What the hell was Wulfram doing here? In her room? When she wasn’t even dressed yet!

  “Your highness, Milady is not decent yet!” Her maid stood up, placing herself between Dani and Wulfram and setting her hands on her hips. “And you have not been announced! There is etiquette to follow!”

  Wulfram smiled, bowing deeply. “Forgive the intrusion Milady, I hadn’t realized you hadn’t yet gotten dressed.”

  “Then wait in the hall while she dresses! Out! Shoo!” The look of surprised amusement on Wulfram’s face as the maid shooed him out of the room made Dani stifle a laugh. It was better than the stupid smile on his face when he saw her in her robe! And he had to wait for her out in the hall, that was even better! Served him right too. Although she wasn’t sure why right now.

  “Gentlemen, please leave as well so Milady can get dressed.” The maids voice was slightly more polite when she spoke to Raycor and Reshi. Dani supposed they didn’t get shooed out automatically because they were her pa and uncle. Seemed a bit odd, but alright. Noble sorts were weird like that.

  “You’re going down to the Rat’s Nest?” Dani asked, even as her mind was turning to the clothes in her wardrobe. What was she going to wear today? What would Wulfram like?

  Damnit why did it matter what he liked?

  “Aye. Should be safe ‘nough. Bear’s gone, an’ we’ll be stoppin’ by Ervel’s first. Wulfram gave ‘is word he’d protect ya while we’re gone.” Reshi crossed his arms, a dissatisfied scowl settling on his face. “He swears ya be safe ‘ere. An’ I’ll trust ‘im fer now.”

  Now that was a bit of a turn. Dani had been sure that Reshi didn’t like Wulfram, let alone trust him! What had changed? Of course it still meant she was trapped in the palace. “Alright, just be careful I guess.” What else could she say? It wasn’t like Reshi would listen to her.

  “We will be.” Therija gave Dani a hug, and headed towards the door. She wasn’t even waiting for Reshi or Raycor, her face lighting up at the very mention of Ervel’s name. Well, it had been a while since they had seen each other. Dani smiled and shook her head.

  “Better go after her, or she’ll be halfway to Ervel’s before you even leave the room.” Dani looked up at Reshi, hesitating a moment before giving him a hug. She could feel the jolt of surprise, a hesitation before he returned the hug tightly.

  “Aye, that she will. Stay ‘ere, an’ stay near the prince. We’ll be back ‘fore nightfall.” Reshi patted her head awkwardly before heading out the door himself, Raycor chuckling as he followed.

  “Don’t ye be gettin’ in trouble while we’re gone lass.” Raycor called over his shoulder, before the door closed, leaving Dani alone with her maid. Damn, she wasn’t even sure of the womans name!

  Dani shook her head with a small smile. The room felt so empty without her family around, too big for just her and the maid. But she supposed she should get used to it. It sounded like they were going to insist on her staying in the palace. Unless Reshi took her on the run.

  Of the two choices, the palace had better beds.

  “Would Milady like help getting dressed?” The maid asked, dipping in a little curtsy.

  “No, that’s alright. Well, maybe with the corset. But that’s all.” Of course she had to figure out what to wear first! If she didn’t think the maid would throw a fit, she would just wear the same dress she had worn yesterday. It wasn’t as if she had done anything to get it dirty. But instead she threw open the doors to the wardrobe, staring at the array of clothes.

  She really needed to get to Mrs. Haversaun’s. What would look the best on her out of the options she had though? It wasn’t like they were bad options, but she liked Mrs. Haversaun’s work. She pulled out a dark green dress embroidered with like blue flowers, smiling at the color combination. All the dresses seemed to have some hint of blue in them, probably to show off the color of her eyes. Blue eyes weren’t that common in Cresenvasht.

  Luckily she liked the color, but it would be nice to have some clothes that would pick up the gold in her bracelet.

  The maid stood quietly by until it came time to lace Dani’s corset, and then helped with some of the laces on the dress as well. It was a little tighter than Dani preferred, but not to the point of cutting off her breath. She shifted a little in it, trying to loosen the laces through her movement. “Do most ladies wear their corsets so tight? Jeeze.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  “Many do, yes.” The maid said, smiling as she looked Dani over. “You look lovely!”

  “Thank you.” Dani blushed, looking at herself in the mirror. She never considered herself vain, but she took a moment to smooth out her hair and skirts, trying to make sure everything looked just right. “Maybe next time we don’t lace it up quite so tight though?”

  “As you wish Milady.” The maid curtsied. “Shall I invite his highness in now?”

  “Yes please.” Dani looked over the room, surprised when she saw the bed had already been made, and the plates had been discreetly taken away, replaced with a tray of fruit and baked goods, and a pitcher of some red juice with strawberries floating in it. When had they done that?

  But there was little time to think about it, as the maid opened the door and dipped into a deep curtsy. “Milady Daniella is ready to receive visitors now.”

  “Thank you.” She could feel the thread of amusement in Wulfram’s voice, echoed in his face as he stepped into the room and bowed deeply. “Lady Daniella, it is a pleasure to see you again.”

  Dani resisted sticking her tongue out at the formality. Lady Daniella her ass. “Wulf, how was your trip?”

  “Informative, and unexpectedly perilous. We have a few minutes before we need to go to Archmage Balariz, I wanted to show you the proposed map of the Tangle.” Wulfram smiled, and she knew, just knew, that he was laughing inside.

  One of Dani’s eyebrows rose, this was the first she had heard about going to see the Archmage, or a proposed map of the Tangle. What the hell did he mean proposed map of the Tangle? A map was supposed to show how things were! Did he want her to correct it? She wasn’t a cartographer. “Uhm, alright. Why are we seeing Archmage Balariz?”

  “To have the bracelets removed.” The words sent a pang of shock through her chest, and Wulfram’s amusement faded, leaving behind a cold regret. “That is what you wanted, isn’t it?”

  Dani looked down at the bracelet with it’s warm golden gem. It was, wasn’t it? She didn’t want to be married to him!

  Right?

  Now she wasn’t so sure though, she touched the gem lightly, feeling an echo of a heartbeat through it. She hadn’t really noticed it before, but lately she had been more aware of it, and of the other things that came through the bracelet sometimes. “I guess.”

  “It will simplify things to have them removed. And if there comes a time when you want to steal my crown again....” He trailed off, a mischievous smile brightening his face.

  Dani laughed. “Yeah, I s’pose I could do that again. But I’ll have to think of a different way to steal it next time, you’ll be looking for me to grab it from above.”

  “That I will. But I may forget too. Would you like to see that map before we go?” Wulfram held up two pieces of folded paper.

  “Sure. Why not? What do you mean proposed map anyways?” Dani moved to the table that had so recently held breakfast, scooting the tray of baked goods and pitcher of juice aside carefully. It was a wonder all the nobles weren’t fat with as much food as they had!

  “A map showing the proposed layout of the Tangle, once we start fixing it up.” Wulfram unfolded the first piece of paper, showing the large city and the tangle of streets that made up the Rat’s Nest. “This map shows how things are now, including buildings that are destroyed, and buildings that are not safe for the people living in them.”

  He unfolded the second piece of paper, laying it over the first. Most of it looked the same, but the Rat’s Nest was gone. Dani frowned, tilting her head as she looked at it, trying to puzzle out what she was seeing. She reached out, moving it so that she could compare the two maps, one with the Rat’s Nest as it currently was, and one with how someone wanted it to be. “Where are all the houses?”

  “That’s what I wondered as well. There aren’t nearly enough residences as there needs to be to house all the people in the Tangle. I suspect we will have to expand into the country to make sure there’s room, but the residences on here are more designed for richer nobles, not commoners. Do you have some paper and a pen?”

  “Sure, I think so.” Dani looked up at the maid, trying desperately to remember her name. “Do we?”

  “Yes Milday.” The maid said and pulled a sheet of paper along with a pen and ink out of the small desk on one side of the room. She brought it over, setting it gently on the table.

  “Thank you, Clara.” Wulfram said, opening the ink bottle. He set the paper over the proposed map, bending over to trace some of the lines, and add others. “We had talked about a healer's hall there, and a park is a good idea. It will give people a place to relax and gather for festivals. I know they mostly use Trade Road right now, so what if we put the park right here, near the Road? And then we can put the healer's hall next to it.”

  Clara! How could she not remember Clara? Dani watched Wulfram draw with a small frown, distracted by how strong and capable his hand looked, the heat of his body next to hers, and the scent of his cologne. She blushed, giving herself a firm mental shake. What was wrong with her? “Do we really need a park? I know you noble sorts have parks, but I can’t say I ever saw the point.”

  “It’s a bit of greenery in the city, it’s supposed to be a place to relax. We can also put a Quietus temple closer to the Tangle, or in it. Perhaps in the cliff?” Wulfram pointed to a cave entrance marked on the map. “What’s here?”

  “There’s places to relax already. And there’s nothing wrong with the festivals on Trade Road, they’re good for business.” Dani shrugged, looking at the opening. “Oh that? I think that’s where the original Quietus temple was. People mostly just stay away from it now.”

  “Imagine everyone having access to a little garden like yours. Can’t you see children playing in it? Rolling in the grass, climbing in the trees?” Wulfram looked up at Dani, meeting her eyes with a soft smile. “Lovers strolling hand in hand?”

  The blush returned to Dani’s cheeks, and she straightened from him quickly. Maybe he was right about the bracelet, they had to get rid of the damn things before she lost her mind. “Alright, so maybe a park would be nice. Don’t we have something to go do?”

  “We do, we can talk about this on the way, you can let me know what the Tangle needs, and we’ll work on making a proposal that fits it’s needs.” Wulfram straightened, carefully placing the cap back on the ink bottle.

  “Sure. Sure, we can do that. Uhm... I think a park might be nice. A healer’s hall of course, a Quietus temple. We have a lot of the stuff we need already, but a lot of the buildings need to be fixed or replaced.” She headed for the door, bending her mind to the problem. It was better than thinking about how nice he smelled.