The stone really was the most perfect thing in the world. Mina sighed happily, still looking down at the small stone clutched in his claws.

Admittedly, the stone wasn’t anything to laud. A simple river stone, smoothed and rounded by the flowing water, it was plucked from the depths by a pair of children looking for something pretty. An ordinary shade of dirt brown with white and black streaks marbled throughout, a dozen similar stones could be found all along the banks of the Nanteri, the great river that bisected the city and brought the grand trade ships in from the distant ocean. That was where Mina and Paxton had found the stone.

The stone kept Mina enthralled because of what it represented: memories. To Mina, the stone meant friendship, and that was the most precious thing he had ever had.

At one point his hoard had been the envy of every other dragon his age in the neighborhood. Now, all he had left was the one stone, overlooked by his aunt and cousins when they had moved into the house and sold everything. Mina knew what had happened, of course. People didn’t fall from the Nantax Bridge by accident, and his father going over the high railing and falling into the water below had definitely been no accident, especially since his father could fly.

The Nantax Bridge spanned the width of the Nanteri River and kept the two halves of the city connected. It was high enough that the trade ships didn’t need to lower their masts to sail underneath, wide enough that four carriages could cross side by side, and had a pedestrian section carefully fenced off so those on foot would not get in the way of the carriages.

Father hadn’t fallen—it just wasn’t possible—but no witnesses had come forward to attest that he had been pushed. Mina had already known Father’s will left everything to Father’s younger sister. Mina had only been eleven years of age at the time, but he had understood that he was still too young to run the business and the house. Aunt Jubilee was to be his caretaker with the understanding that someday she would hand everything back to Mina. Instead, she had taken everything away from him permanently.

Except for the memory the stone represented, of course. She could take the physical things—the jewelry, the furniture, and even his clothing—but taking his dreams wasn’t possible.

Mina loved his hoard. He could sit up in the rafters, stone in hand, for hours and hours just dreaming of what could have been had Father not been killed, had Paxton remembered that one day on the banks of the river, or had any number of lovely things occurred.

Sometimes he dreamed of simply flying away. He didn’t have any worldly possessions in his sorely depleted hoard. Mina could take wing and go downriver to the ocean, or up into the mountains. This was one city in the middle of a vast country. Perhaps even the capital city nestled into the footholds of the mountains he saw every day on the horizon would bring adventure.

But reality always reared its ugly head before a dream could become something more. He had responsibilities to Father’s memory. Besides, if he left, then Aunt Jubilee won. She got the shop, the house, and the money. It was all technically Mina’s, and when he had turned eighteen, it should have been given to him. Aunt Jubilee had gone to the local magistrate instead, insisting that she had full rights to all of it since for seven full years it had been her efforts that had kept the shop alive and thriving. Mina didn’t have any money to hire someone to help him—not money he wanted his aunt to know about and try to take, at least—nor did he have any standing to fight with. A protest had been lodged on his behalf by the court, but only because the law required that both sides of the issue be properly aired, not because Mina himself had done anything.

The case had been on the docket for two years at this point. Criminal matters always took precedent in the courts, so civil matters had to wait for an opening. It could be as long as another year before the court heard the case, and by then it really would be too late. Ten years of successful ownership was the minimum for a business transfer in these cases.

Really, there wasn’t anything he could do except leave. Mina sighed heavily, knowing that his few moments to hide in the rafters and dream with his little stone had been ruined by the knowledge of what was to come. Aunt Jubilee couldn’t throw him out of his own house at the moment, but once the case came to a close she would ensure it.

Was it better to leave now, tail tucked between his legs, or to be forced to leave later, but with his head held high?

The stone in Mina’s claws didn’t have an answer. It represented dreams, not fears and worries.

Mina let out yet another sigh and carefully put the stone down. He was high in the rafters in the attic, a place only he could reach. The stone would be safe on the wooden support beam.

He let gravity do its job as he rolled off the beam. Mina’s wings flared out, catching the air and slowing his descent. When he reached the floor, his small-form receded, quickly replaced by his human one. Mina straightened the rough brown shirt he was wearing before he opened the hatch in the floor and climbed down the stairs into the rest of the house. It only took him a few minutes to walk the hallways and down two more flights of stairs, but by the time he reached the kitchen, breakfast had already been cleared away. One of the servants had discreetly left a roll on a shelf holding the bowls, and Mina grabbed it to eat as he hurried through the kitchen, into the backyard, and across the yard to the kennel.

Mina wasn’t allowed to eat with his aunt or cousins in the morning, but sometimes if he timed it right, he could get to the kitchen before the bowls of food could be scraped clean. His musings this morning had taken too much time, but the roll would suffice. He had lived on less before one of the servants had started taking pity on him.

The smell of the animals greeted him as Mina pulled open the door to the kennel. He could hear at least one dog barking and the low hiss of the unhappy chimera in the corner. The business prided itself on being capable of boarding all sorts of creatures, magical and not. When someone went on vacation and couldn’t take their pet, they came here. Mina’s role was to keep the kennel clean, which was a nasty job at times, but someone had to do it.

Mina went along the row of cages, hitting the switch to open the door for the animals that needed to go outside. There was a bit of concrete under the sun outside every cage, but if Mina let the chimera out, for example, it would simply climb the walls with its thick claws and escape. The dogs and the manticore went outside, though, which made it easy to go into their cages to clean.

It took a long time to clean every cage, especially the ones where he had to coax a cat or the chimera into a separate box for the few minutes it took. Mina made certain every animal had food and water when he was done, and then he went outside to clean concrete slabs.

*

The double sun was high overhead when Mina was finished. He was hot and sweaty, his brown shirt sticking to his back and itching, but if he turned the hose on himself, his aunt would scold and carry on. Instead, Mina headed back to the house where the large stone sink in the kitchen afforded enough space to dunk his head under the faucet. Mina found a rag to dry himself off with; then he took a long, bracing breath before heading back outside. This time he didn’t go into the kennel, instead heading to the front of the shop where one of his cousins worked as the receptionist and his aunt and other cousin worked as…Mina didn’t actually know what they did, to be honest. Maybe they were receptionists too? They seemed to mostly spend the day lounging around and smiling whenever a customer arrived.

Mina went directly to the closet where the cleaning supplies were kept, grabbing the broom first to begin sweeping up the accumulated dust and pet hair. He couldn’t help doing the back hallway first, stalling, but eventually he had to push through the doorway and into the front room.

There weren’t any customers. Angelina was sitting in one of the waiting chairs, studying her nails in the light from the front window. Her hair was blonde, which emphasized the dark tanned tones to her skin. As a part ogre, the skin tone made sense, but the hair looked unnatural. It should have been brown with shades of green, but Angelina had decided to dye it instead. Audrianna was behind the long desk, moving papers around. Her hair hadn’t been dyed and was instead pulled back into a formal-looking bun at the top of her head. That, combined with her spectacles, made her look very severe. Where Angelina had their mother’s vanity, Audrianna had their mother’s stern and unbending personality.

Aunt Jubilee wasn’t in sight, so Mina hurried with the broom. His cousins ignored him entirely, and it wasn’t long before Mina was heading back to the closet.

Unfortunately, the next step was mopping, which eventually brought him back to the front of the shop. Aunt Jubilee had arrived sometime in the interim, Mina noticed the second he pushed through the door. He ducked his head and focused on the mop, hoping Aunt Jubilee would be too engrossed with whatever conversation she was earnestly having with Angelina.

“It’s this weekend. Can you believe the short notice?” Mina couldn’t help overhearing Aunt Jubilee say indignantly. “How are we supposed to get proper dresses in time?”

Aunt Jubilee was only half-dragon and had been Mina’s father’s half sister. Her heritage was clearly evident in the width of her shoulders and hips, since dragons were built on strong lines like ogres, but her mother had been a fairy, which gave her body long lines and a graceful bearing. She was utterly gorgeous with hair a soft golden brown curled around her face and wide eyes that glimmered in the light. Her marriage with the ogre that had fathered her daughters had been for money—even years afterward Mina’s father had still expressed his dislike of the union—and when the ogre had died, and the money was eventually used up, Mina’s father had taken his tumble off the bridge.

“The prince has been stopping in every large town and city on his route and hosting a luncheon or a ball in each,” Audrianna cut in sharply. “The larger the city, the larger the event. Common sense would have told you weeks ago that when he arrived here a grand ball would be held. I ordered my dress last month,” she added smugly.

“Well good for you, brat,” Angelina snapped with an angry toss of her hair. “What about for those of us that had more important things to worry about last month? This is the king’s younger brother we’re talking about, and he’s single! I only have the few days he’s in the city to make an impression.”

“Rumor is, the king’s plan wasn’t merely for his brother to tour the country to meet the people and find out what the people needed the king’s help with.” Aunt Jubilee sneered as she spoke, her opinion of that clear on her face.

Mina actually knew what they were talking about. Even he, with his almost hermit-like existence, had heard about Prince Paxton touring the country. The official reason for the tour was the one Aunt Jubilee was so unimpressed with, but rumor said the king wanted Prince Paxton to marry and hoped an eligible bride would be found at one of the many luncheons and balls.

“One of you, my beautiful daughters, will surely catch his eye,” Aunt Jubilee continued after she had recovered from her disgust. “Audrianna, since you already have a dress, I will leave you in charge here. Angelina and I will be out for the day.” She stood and waited for Angelina to stand as well. They both headed to the door and Mina held his breath in the hope she wouldn’t notice him, but Aunt Jubilee paused in the doorway. “The front windows need washing, inside and out; there are cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling that need removing, and I think the kennels could do with an afternoon cleaning as well today.” She didn’t turn to look at Mina as she spoke, but Mina knew that if those chores weren’t accomplished she would take out her anger on him.

Aunt Jubilee and Angelina left. Mina continued mopping, hoping that Audrianna wouldn’t notice how tightly he was gripping the broom in order to keep his anger in check.

*

Mina was almost too exhausted at the end of the day to think, but he had managed to work his anger out by scrubbing things all day. He trudged up the stairs toward his attic room, his plate of dinner—left for him on a counter in the kitchen while his family ate in the dining room—in his hand. He pushed the trapdoor open over his head and climbed the last few steps into his room. The door closed behind him with a thud, and Mina was finally free to let out the heavy sigh he had been holding in all day.

Prince Paxton. Mina had always known who he had met down at the river all those years ago. They had been two children escaping from the rigors and expectations of demanding parents wanting them to stand still or act polite. At five years old, all Mina had wanted to do was play in the water. Running into Paxton—who had the same wish—had simply made the day better. The river had been shallow where they had inadvertently met, and they had spent hours splashing around. Pledging eternal friendship at the end of the day over Mina’s rock had sealed the day into perfection, at least until Mina’s father and Paxton’s caretaker had found them both after a day of desperately searching for them.

The chances that Paxton actually remembered that day were slim and the chances that he would recognize Mina fifteen years later even slimmer, but Mina couldn’t help wanting to go to the ball just to see. However, he could already picture Aunt Jubilee’s disgusted face should he ask her for the time off to prepare.

If Mina wanted to go to the ball, he would have to figure out a way that kept his aunt from knowing.

He had an option, Mina knew. Using that option would be difficult, especially since he had to make doubly certain Aunt Jubilee never found out, but it might allow him to get to the ball.

Going to the ball to see Paxton trumped all the difficulties involved, Mina decided quickly. If Paxton didn’t remember him, then at least Mina could have a nice evening away from the house and kennel.

Mina sat down in the lone chair he had in the attic to eat before his plate got any colder, but as he ate his eyes kept straying hopefully upward to where that one last important bit of his hoard remained hidden.

When he was finished eating, Mina napped in his chair for a few hours, waiting until he was absolutely certain he was the only person awake in the house. He shifted into his small form and pumped his wings eagerly. Mina flew upward, through the rafters and past his rock until he reached the exhaust fan that only ran in the hottest summer days to cool the house.

His claws scrabbled on the latch for a brief moment before the fan unhooked and swung open like a window. Mina took a moment to close it behind him, making absolutely certain it didn’t latch so he would be able to get back in, before flying off into the night.

What Aunt Jubilee didn’t know about was the house and money Mina’s mother left when she passed away when he was four. Mother hadn’t been particularly wealthy, but Father had invested well and Mother’s money had grown enough that he could afford to keep her house and her belongings for when Mina was older. Mother and Father had divorced when Mina was two, but she had left everything to Mina in the care of his father. Father, in turn, had left everything of Mother’s to Mina in care of Aunt Jubilee. Except, Aunt Jubilee thankfully had no idea about Mother’s accounts. When Mina had turned eighteen, they had become his, but Mina was deeply afraid that if he revealed them to Aunt Jubilee before the court case was decided she would claim to have been the caretaker all along and take Mother’s money too.

It was exhausting just to think about, especially after such a long day. Mina couldn’t help yawning as he flew across the city and over the Nanteri. He landed on the front stoop of his mother’s house and transformed back into his human form before knocking loudly.

It took a few minutes to hear the clicking sound of the door unlocking. The door swung open slowly to reveal Sebastian looking grumpy in his sleepwear. Sebastian was part drow, a type of fairy with beautiful dark skin and shining white hair, and part tree elf, which made his eyes blaze green in the reflected street lamps. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Mina, and he threw the door open wide so Mina could walk inside.

“Master Mina!” Sebastian gasped. “How can I help you? And so late?” he added in admonishment.

“Sorry, Sebastian. I had to wait for my aunt to fall asleep.”

Mina waited for Sebastian to close the door and then followed Sebastian into the kitchen. He took a seat at the table, and a few moments later, Sebastian brought tea over for them both.

“I want to go to the ball, Sebastian, but I haven’t got any appropriate clothing. I was hoping some of Mother’s things might be altered in time?”

Sebastian looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well, your mother didn’t spend much time in formal settings as a man, but I can see if one of her suits is still in good condition.”

Mina shook his head. “Sebastian, if I go as a man Aunt Jubilee will recognize me immediately.”

“Your mother had plenty of dresses that would work. She preferred her female form just as you prefer your male form.” Sebastian might be speaking to Mina, but his eyes were unfocused as he no doubt mentally ran through all the dress options still tucked away in Mother’s closet.

Mina had some suspicions that Sebastian and Mother had been lovers before Mother’s illness, and since Father had kept Sebastian on as caretaker of Mother’s house rather than selling it, it made sense.

“Change into your female form and let me take measurements. I’ll have a couple dresses altered for you to try on by…Wednesday should be fine.”

Mina took a deep breath and dug deep inside. Changing between his small form, his human form, and his large form was easy. However, changing genders was a little more difficult. Dragons generally had a preference for which gender they liked best and Mina definitely preferred being male, but it wasn’t something set in stone. Opening the inner pathways that allowed the change took a moment, and then he suddenly had breasts straining the front of what had been a fitted shirt.

“Stand up,” Sebastian ordered. He rummaged through a nearby drawer before pulling out a tape measure. He took all the measurements he needed, swinging the tape around Mina’s hips, chest, the length of his arms and legs, and a dozen other places on Mina’s body. By the time he was finished writing down the last measurement, the first sun was beginning to rise in the eastern horizon. Dawn, and the start of Mina’s workday, didn’t officially occur until the second, larger sun began to rise, but any light that made it difficult to hide his return was too much light.

Mina shifted back to his male form, thanked Sebastian, and flew off as quickly as his wings could take him.

*

Mina yawned his way through his morning chores, which had Audrianna scoffing at him as she glared over her glasses. By lunchtime he had completed everything he had been assigned and there had been no sign of Aunt Jubilee, so he retreated to his attic room for a few hours’ nap. As long as he was downstairs early enough to check the kennels and make sure everyone had enough food and water for the night, he wouldn’t get in trouble.

The next few days passed much the same way until Wednesday arrived, and Mina stepped into the main office with his broom to find Aunt Jubilee and Angelina had returned.

“My dress is the color of the Nanteri after the first frost, white and blue with sparkling crystals woven onto every inch,” Angelina was explaining to Audrianna as Mina began to sweep. “What color is your dress?”

“Green,” Audrianna said shortly.

“Bah, you’re so boring. Mother’s dress is rose pink with golden thread for the stitching and embroidery. You know,” Angelina continued in a faux whisper, “I think Mother is hoping to snare Prince Paxton herself. She is single, after all.”

“Honestly, Angelina, I would be much happier if you…or Audrianna,” Aunt Jubilee added after a brief pause, “won his hand. Still, perhaps there is another rich man looking for a wife who might be interested in me. I must make as strong a showing as my two beautiful daughters. Now, Audrianna, please tell me your dress has more embellishment than just green.”

“Yes, Mother. The dressmaker was insistent. It will be quite fashionable.”

Aunt Jubilee nodded firmly. “I should hope so. Now, I have scheduled hair and makeup appointments for us all on Saturday morning. The shop will be closed that day. Audrianna, make certain our customers know not to pick up or drop off their filthy animals that day. And, Mina,” Aunt Jubilee continued, her sharp gaze fixing on where Mina was brushing the pile of dirt into a dustpan, “you will, of course, stay here that day to watch over the shop. I expect the kennels and the shop cleaned properly.”

“Yes, Aunt Jubilee,” Mina mumbled. It wasn’t as if he ever got weekends off. If he didn’t feed and clean the animals, no one would, and the poor things didn’t deserve to starve. As long as all he had to do were his regular chores, he ought to have plenty of time to get ready too.

“Good. Now get back to cleaning. This place is filthy.”

Mina escaped down the hallway with his full dustpan just as the bell on the front door rang to announce they had a customer.

Luckily Aunt Jubilee and Angelina were gone by the time Mina came back with the mop, so Mina spent the rest of the day peacefully cleaning the shop. They didn’t come back to the house until late too. Mina could hear the clatter as they walked up the stairs to their bedrooms a little after midnight, but it didn’t take too long for the house to quiet. Mina flew up to the fan and unlatched it and within a few minutes was flying over the Nanteri toward his mother’s house.

Sebastian was waiting by the door for Mina and hustled Mina inside to a nearby sitting room. The dress Sebastian had chosen was lilac with silver embroidery at the low collar and wrists.

“Long sleeves aren’t really in fashion this year, but they really complete the dress so I didn’t remove them. I took in the waist a tad and was able to add a few inches to the length. Try it on and I’ll pin the last few alterations.”

Mina shifted to his female form and quickly took off his too-tight clothes. Sebastian held the dress up high so he could drop it over Mina’s head, then carefully tugged it into place. Mina tried not to fidget as Sebastian laced up the corset back, pulling the bodice tight around Mina’s breasts and cinching his waist.

“Gorgeous,” Sebastian insisted as he stepped around to Mina’s front to take a critical look at Mina in the dress. “You look just like your mother.” He smiled fondly at Mina for an awkward moment before apparently remembering he had a job to do and turned away to grab his supplies.

“Did you alter any of Mother’s other dresses?” Mina asked. Purple was probably a good color for him, but without a mirror to look into, Mina couldn’t say for certain.

“The orange one,” Sebastian replied as he returned with a box of pins in hand. “But the color makes it look a little too casual for a ball, I think. Had this been a luncheon for the prince, I would have chosen that one instead. Did you want to try it on?”

“Just in case someone declares purple to be illegal or something ridiculous,” Mina answered with a small shrug so he didn’t mess up Sebastian’s work on the hemline. “I’m trying to keep my bases covered.”

Sebastian paused and looked up at Mina with a worried expression on his face. “I’m sure it will be fine. Now, have you thought about how you’re getting into the ball? I believe invitations were sent out last weekend to any households of means in the city. As a prominent business owner, the widow of Mr. Donington”—who had been one of the wealthiest men in the city until Aunt Jubilee had spent it all—“and your father’s sister, your aunt received an invite. Now,” Sebastian continued before Mina could start to panic. He hadn’t realized the party was invitation only. He had figured just showing up in a dress would be enough to get inside. “Your mother was also fairly well to do when she was alive, so I made some inquiries as to why her estate hadn’t received an invitation, even just as a courtesy. I hinted that some of your mother’s political donations that I make on her behalf might be in jeopardy, and an invitation arrived in the mail yesterday. I have also hired a carriage to take you to the hotel where the ball is being hosted. You shouldn’t have any difficulties meeting up with your prince. What time do you think you might be able to get over here to prepare?”

Mina shook his head. “I have no idea. I know my aunt and cousins have makeup and hair appointments in the morning, but I need to clean the shop and kennels then. If I think I can escape while they’re getting their dresses on, I’ll come over then, but Aunt Jubilee usually has some sort of demands for me whenever she goes out. If I’m not there to hear what she has to say, I might be discovered, so I probably won’t be able to come over until they’ve left already.”

Sebastian let out an unhappy snort. He stood and began pinning the waist a tad tighter. “I will have a bath and your mother’s makeup and hair products ready to go. You’ll be late, but that’s still fashionable these days so no one should comment. Just make certain you leave the ball before your aunt, should she decide to check on you when she gets home.”

“I’ll make sure, Sebastian.” In fact, Mina would leave the fan unhooked that night just in case he needed to sneak in.

Sebastian completed the dress fitting at quickly as possible. The orange dress was lovely, but Sebastian was right that the lilac one would be much more appropriate for the ball. Mina shifted back into his male form and got dressed.

“Thanks, Sebastian,” Mina said softly. He hugged Sebastian at the door before changing into his small form and flying home.

*

“Where is my pearl necklace?”

“What about my hair!”

Mina rolled his eyes and sighed, trying to focus on getting the last few kennels clean. The fact that he could hear his stepfamily all the way over in the office, when they had been sequestered in their rooms getting ready for the ball since after breakfast, was sad. All the animals still deserved to have a clean place to sleep, food, and water, but as usual, Mina was the only one who noticed.

He finished with the last kennel and went to find the broom to get the rest of the shop clean too. Aunt Jubilee might not care whether the animals were being taken care of today, but tomorrow morning she would definitely notice if a speck of dust had accumulated, if only to give her something to harangue Mina about.

It took the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon to finish. Mina was just returning to the house via the kitchen, hoping to find some scraps left over from lunch or a late snack served to his family, when he heard the clacking sounds of wheels on the street.

As far as Mina was aware, the doors to the massive central hall where the ball was being held weren’t supposed to open for at least another two hours, and even then, it was more likely to be another hour after that before the royal family arrived. It didn’t make sense that the carriage was already here.

Although, knowing Aunt Jubilee, she had concocted a plan to be in the very front row when Prince Paxton arrived in order to show off her two daughters from the best vantage. That would require getting to the ball early, but not this early!

Mina found some bread and cheese and ate quickly over the sink so he didn’t make a mess. Once he was done, he snuck upstairs as quietly as he could, carefully placing his feet on every stair and holding his breath as he stole past his stepfamily’s rooms on his way to the attic. The last thing he wanted was Aunt Jubilee assigning him more chores to complete “to keep yourself busy while we’re away.”

Thankfully he made it to his attic room unscathed, and then it became a waiting game. Mina didn’t dare leave before his family, for fear they would call him for something and discover his absence, but he wanted so badly to change form and fly off. He ended up pacing back and forth the length of the attic as the minutes slowly ticked by.

In the end, Aunt Jubilee made the carriage and Mina wait for a full hour. Mina finally heard their voices coalesce in the hallway below him, then move father away as they headed downstairs and then outside.

Mina shifted forms and flew upward to carefully stick the tip of his snout out through the air vent. He could just barely see the street from his vantage, but he could make out the carriage rocking as his family climbed inside. A few moments later, the carriage took off. Mina forced himself to wait until the carriage had turned the corner and was out of sight before he clambered out of the air vent. He closed it carefully behind him to make sure it wouldn’t latch and then flung himself into the air to fly to Sebastian as quickly as possible.

A bath was waiting for Mina when he arrived, as promised. Mina scrubbed as quickly as he could, getting the day’s sweat and grime off with the heavy sponge Sebastian had also provided. Sebastian was waiting in Mina’s mother’s old dressing room when Mina emerged from the bath. He had hot curlers ready to steam out the water and set Mina’s hair properly. Mina sat on a low stool in front of the makeup mirror and let Sebastian work. Mina also put a little line of darkener on his lower eyelid to accent his eyes and a bit of gloss on his lips.

Once they were both done with their primping, Sebastian brought in the dress. Mina draped his dressing robe over a nearby chair and held up his arms to let Sebastian carefully drop the dress over Mina’s head without mussing his artful curls or makeup. Sebastian tugged the corset ties tight and then stepped back.

“You really do look just like your mother,” he sighed.

Mina turned to look in the mirror. He had always looked more like his mother than his father, but with his features softened in his female form, it was unmistakable. The magnificent dress also helped. Sweeping skirts and a trim, embroidered waist did amazing things for Mina’s body.

“It fits perfectly,” Mina told Sebastian.

Sebastian sighed again, his nostalgic smile not fading, before he abruptly shook his head and strode across the room. “Right, the invitation is in here, as are a few coins to tip the carriage driver.” He held out a small black clutch for Mina to take. “You’ll show the invitation at the gate, which will allow the carriage to enter the drive for the hall. You shouldn’t need it after that, and you’ll tip the driver when he returns you here after the ball. Leave the clutch in the carriage so you don’t have to carry it all evening.”

Mina nodded to show he understood even as Sebastian waved for Mina to precede him out of the room. Mina headed to the carriage, which had only been waiting a few minutes, but stopped at the door.

“Thank you, Sebastian,” Mina said, his voice soft as he tried to keep from tearing up. He was going to get to see Paxton thanks to Sebastian’s help. That meant everything to Mina.

“I’m so glad you asked me for help,” Sebastian replied, and his nostalgic smile was back. “I might not be able to save you from your aunt, but please let me know if there’s ever anything else I can do for you.”

Mina hugged Sebastian, who then helped Mina climb into the carriage. The footman shut the door, and he was off.

*

Mina had never been to the grand hall before. The organizers had chosen the fanciest hotel in the city, which had a massive ballroom known as the grand hall. Every time a member of the royal family came to visit, they stayed at the hotel, but Mina had never had the opportunity to go. The place certainly lived up to its reputation.

Gold and silver accented everything Mina could see, from the sconces on the walls to the mirrored panels reflecting the light. Even the dark-stained wood plank floor looked like it had gold veining. The people were also amazing. Everyone was wearing beautiful dresses or suits, glittering jewels, and had an air of opulence. Mina looked the part, at least, but he still found himself standing on the edge of the room, unable to step forward into the throng.

Gigantic banquet tables of food were in the other room where small tables were set up for diners. Rich smells of roasted meat and chocolate floated in the air for Mina to appreciatively sniff. A high balcony held a full orchestra and dancers filled the center of the room, twirling happily along to the strains of some sort of waltz. There was no sign of the royal family.

Well, Mina had come to see Paxton, not dance, although the food was starting to tempt him after only a quick lunch a few hours ago. He was just gathering the courage to step away from the wall to go try some of what he was smelling when the waltz came to a halt. Instead of picking up a new tune, the instruments remained silent. It took a few seconds for the milling crowd to realize this meant something, but once they had begun to quiet, the great doors opened and a crier stepped into the room. He pounded his staff against something on the floor that rang like a bell.

“His Royal Highness, Prince Paxton, Duke of Verrity, Heir Presumptive…” The rest of the crier’s announcement went through one of Mina’s ears and out the other as he caught sight of Paxton.

The boy he remembered was gone, of course, yet there was still something about the arch of his cheeks and the round of his chin that spoke of the child’s face from so long ago. Then Paxton turned his head to look over the crowd, and Mina caught sight of his eyes. They were still the brilliant green of a spring afternoon, the most prominent part of his elfin heritage almost glowing in the light of the hall. Mina remembered those eyes most of all.

The riverbank had been only moderately more interesting than the meeting Mina had snuck out of. Father and some other men had been locked deep in conversation, and Mina doubted they had noticed Mina slip out the balcony door and climb down the rose trellis, thankfully empty in the early spring. He had somehow found himself at the bank of the massive river. The water was cold, too cold to do more than trickle his fingers through it. And then he had turned his head at the noise of someone else disconsolately splashing at the water nearby and had gotten trapped by those eyes.

Paxton nodded regally to the room when the crier finally finished. Mina hastily curtseyed back along with everyone else, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Paxton, who turned and walked into the room with the food. He rather rudely brushed past the governor of Nanteri, almost as if he didn’t notice the woman gesturing to him. Given she was a half giant and therefore huge, it seemed weird to Mina.

Mina helplessly trailed after Paxton, watching every movement Paxton made. Could he have grown into a selfish, uncaring adult? Mina certainly knew firsthand what a lot of spoiling could do to a person, given how awful his stepsisters were. Had that happened to the bright, wonderful boy Mina had known for so brief a time?

Paxton stopped in a corner and stood there, looking out across the dining tables. His face was completely blank. Mina could not tell what he thought about the hall, the dining area, or the ball itself. He waited for Paxton to move, maybe to get some food or to accept one of the invitations of the women who just happened to casually be drifting by him as the current song ended, yet Paxton just stood there, motionless.

Mina drifted closer, trying to look like one of those women begging for Paxton’s attention. Ten minutes had passed since Paxton had entered the room, and still he didn’t move or show any interest in his surroundings. Mina finally got close enough to see his eyes, and immediately froze in place from shock. Paxton’s eyes were still that vibrant elf-green, but they were empty. Soulless. As if whatever personality Paxton might have once had had somehow been drained from inside him, leaving black holes in his eyes where Mina had once seen joy and happiness. There was no emotion whatsoever.

Someone bumped Mina from behind, jolting him back to reality, and Mina scrambled away to find his own corner to hide in.

People didn’t lose their emotions like that. If Paxton hated the ball or his life, or anything that was making him depressed or had hurt him, there would still be something shining out from within him. Boredom, maybe, or pain still would have been reflected. To have nothing inside him meant a spell.

Mina had done his best to study spells after his father’s untimely death. Mina had hoped to figure out why his father had been unable to shift forms and fly to safety, and a spell would have prevented that. One of the spells he remembered reading about was called a stone heart. When someone removed your emotions, the book had said, sometimes when death arrived you didn’t bother to fight for survival. You couldn’t fight for anything, because nothing meant enough to you to be worth putting in the effort. Those cursed with a stone heart would eat and sleep as their body demanded, but had no will to do anything else on their own. They were essentially a puppet piloted by the spell caster.

Mina figured someone had bashed his father over the head, and then tossed his unconscious body over the railing of the bridge, rather than go to the effort and cost of using a spell, but you couldn’t just kill a prince. With Paxton they needed to go the extra step. But that left the questions of who was piloting puppet Paxton, and for what purpose had they taken control of him?

And it left the question of how to save Paxton. Mina wracked his brain, trying to remember that spell he had read about so long ago. He hadn’t really been interested in the cures at that point, but he had read them. There had been something about overwhelming the spell, Mina remembered. Paxton had to experience an emotion so strong the spell couldn’t suppress it, and that initial chink would grow until the spell shattered.

Mina let out a shuddering breath full of defeat. His shoulders were slumped, and even the tight corset couldn’t keep his back from bending slightly. What did Mina know about the last fifteen years of Paxton’s life? Nothing. He didn’t know Paxton’s likes and dislikes, or about anything that made him feel passionate. To overwhelm the stone-heart spell, Mina needed to know all of that and more, but in reality, Paxton was a stranger to Mina. He had nothing that would help Paxton, nothing more than one shared afternoon playing together by the river.

Mina bit his lip in thought. That was a memory that kept Mina going in his darkest moments. Could it be something like that for Paxton too? It was the only avenue for Mina to try, which meant he needed to go get his precious river stone to show Paxton.

He wanted to shift forms right then so he could fly off and get the stone immediately. Instead, Mina turned his back on Paxton and forced himself to take a couple of deep breaths. He had just publicly run away from Paxton. If the puppet master were nearby, which he had to be to keep Paxton under his control, then he had probably seen Mina’s reaction. Mina had to pretend to have had a fit of nerves when daring to approach Paxton to ask for a dance. He couldn’t run off, as that would give the puppet master reason to catch him, and if Mina wanted to save Paxton, he couldn’t be caught. No, Mina needed to stay at the ball for a while longer. He needed to keep himself occupied, as if his only purpose for the night was to attend the ball and have a good time, as if he hadn’t noticed anything amiss with Paxton.

To that end, Mina let out another heavy, bracing breath, before turning around and resolutely heading toward the banquet tables. He grabbed a plate and filled it, not really paying attention to what foods ended up on the plate, and then headed to one of the tables on the far side of the room to eat and relax. A waiter came by with wine, and Mina took a glass, settling comfortably into his seat as if he were simply enjoying his dinner.

He took his time emptying the plate, mostly because it was hard to swallow with a throat tight with worry and nerves. He definitely couldn’t taste anything, which was almost a mercy given how it sank into his stomach like a lead weight. When his plate was finally empty, Mina forced himself to continue sitting calmly at the table for a few minutes more, delaying until after the waiter had come by to clear the dishes. Mina stood, heading toward the dessert table, trying to act as if he only wanted an after-dinner sweet, but he paused halfway there, made himself frown briefly, and then turned to his left to head down the side hallway toward the bathrooms instead.

Mina walked right past the bathroom door, continuing down the hallway where he hoped to find an open window or a door. He was in luck. The door at the end of the hallway was propped open, and the sharply unpleasant stench of cigarette smoke blew inside. Mina pushed his way out the door, holding his breath to keep from breathing in the nastiness, and hurried past the smokers to the low wall that surrounded the courtyard. It took a bare moment to shift shapes into his small form and fling himself into the air.

Flying at night wasn’t the best time. There weren’t any air currents from the heat of the day to help buoy his wings. He had to fight for every wing beat, and it was exhausting. It took forever to fly all the way across the city, and when he finally landed on the roof of his house, his wing muscles ached. Still, he shifted to his human form and unhooked the vent so he could clamber inside. He lowered himself down onto the nearby rafter and picked up the last piece of his hoard.

Could the memories the stone represented save Paxton? Was it worth bringing the last bit of his hoard out of a safe location on an off chance Paxton remembered that one afternoon as fondly as Mina?

Mina resolutely closed his hand around the river stone. It had to be.

He shifted back to his small form and flew back onto the roof. He carefully closed the vent, just in case he needed to get back inside in a hurry, and threw himself back into the air, the stone clutched securely in one claw.

Every wingbeat made overused muscles ache. Only his resolution to get the stone to Paxton as fast as possible kept him in the air when his body would much rather walk as a human at the moment. He definitely didn’t fly enough—when did he actually have time to fly, what with him taking care of the shop and being exhausted at the end of each day—and he was regretting that lack right now. His stamina was nonexistent and his muscles far too weak. It had been two hours since he had first seen Paxton in the hall, and as he struggled to keep flying, two hours quickly became three, and then three and a half. It was still faster than walking would have been, but Mina was panting desperately for air and badly in need of some ice when he reached the hotel again.

Thankfully the smoker’s courtyard was empty when Mina landed. He hobbled inside and went straight to the women’s bathroom where he wet a towel with cool water and blotted at his face. His makeup was ruined from the sweat, but he tried to gently run the towel under his eyes to get rid of the raccoon look while still keeping some of the color where it was supposed to be. The rest of the makeup came off on the towel, but that was better than going back into the ball looking sweaty and nasty. Mina got a fresh towel, wet it in the iciest water he could, and draped it along the back of his neck, hoping to relieve some of the muscle aches in his back. It didn’t help, but he did finally catch his breath.

When he was ready, Mina threw away both towels, shook out his skirts to try to get some of the wrinkles to come out, and headed back toward the ballroom. He could only hope no one saw how out of sorts he looked, but Mina didn’t have time to stress about that now.

No one noticed his return to the ball as far as Mina could tell, but he was mostly looking for Paxton. He wasn’t in the dining room—his corner from before was empty and he wasn’t sitting at any of the tables—so Mina walked into the ballroom, but he didn’t see Paxton there either.

Could something have happened to Paxton in the hours Mina had been gone? No, Mina realized quickly. If something had publicly happened to Paxton, the room would be full of buzz and gossip instead of the soft strains of music and drunken chatter. Maybe, hopefully, the puppet master had tired of piloting Paxton and sent him to bed.

Mina did one last circuit of the ballroom to double-check Paxton wasn’t one of the dancers in the middle of the room, before slowly making his way back down that too-familiar hallway toward the smoker’s courtyard. It was still empty, so Mina didn’t bother being discreet as he stared upward.

The nicest rooms in hotels were always on the top floor, or so Mina had heard his aunt say before. On this side of the hotel was the two-floor ballroom, but from his vantage Mina could also see the other wing of the hotel, which was also two stories, but the second-floor rooms all had personal balconies. One of those rooms had to contain Paxton, and the balconies gave Mina somewhere to land as he searched.

The country was at peace with its neighbors and the royal family was well liked by the populace, so Mina wasn’t surprised when he didn’t see any guards on the roof or on any of the balconies as he slowly and painfully circled overhead. There would be guards inside the hotel, likely outside the hotel room door or blocking off an entire hallway if Paxton’s retinue needed that much space.

Mina landed on the first balcony and cautiously approached the wide double doors. The curtains weren’t pulled shut, and thanks to the street lights, Mina could just barely make out two white-headed figures sleeping on the bed. No Paxton, so Mina moved on, quickly hopping over to the next balcony. The second room appeared to be empty; there was no movement and no sounds coming from the room, and the bed was neatly made. Mina moved on. A young woman brushing her hair. Next room. A child sprawled out on the bed, asleep, while an older woman worked at the desk. Next room. Empty. Next room. Three older men, hair just going white at the temples, were lounging in the sitting area, drinking. Mina quietly moved to the railing, ready to hop over to the next balcony when voices filtered out the cracked open balcony doors.

“It has to be someone from this city. All the rest of the stops on the prince’s procession are smaller towns and villages. If we’re going to find someone to marry him to, it needs to be from here.”

Mina froze in the shadows, trying not to move or breathe too heavily. He remembered his stepsiblings gossiping about why Paxton was on procession—that he was looking to marry and might choose one of them as his bride—but this discussion sounded like it was leaving Paxton completely out of the loop on that choice. Could one or all of the three men inside be the puppet master?

“There are a few likely candidates,” a second man said, sounding thoughtful. “Someone weak willed, yet ambitious enough to eagerly serve our needs. I met a couple of such women tonight. Perhaps we can invite them over one by one tomorrow and see which lady would work best for our needs, and we can have the prince at the altar by tomorrow night.”

Someone weak willed probably meant someone who either wouldn’t notice or wouldn’t care about the stone-heart spell because all they wanted was the power. Mina shuddered because he had two such women as stepsisters, and Angelina in particular would be all too happy to fill that role.

“We will have to wait a few months before figuring out how to kill the prince and the king, to give the marriage some credibility, of course,” the first voice added, “but it should be easy to then marry her to one of your sons and give him enough legitimacy to claim the crown.”

“Which women were you thinking about?” the third man finally spoke.

Mina stopped listening. He had to save Paxton now, before those men managed to execute their terrible plan. Even if Mina couldn’t break the stone-heart spell, he knew he couldn’t leave Paxton at this hotel, not when those three men wanted to force Paxton to marry tomorrow.

He scrambled over to the next balcony and carefully peeked inside. Finally! Mina let out a relieved breath. Paxton was sitting stiffly in one of the chairs near the door, staring blankly at the wall. The balcony door had been left open to let in some air, and Mina carefully pulled it wide enough that he could walk through. Once he was inside, he changed into his human form.

“Paxton,” Mina said softly, cognizant of the men in the next room who would be on the lookout for strange noises coming from Paxton’s room.

Paxton’s head turned very slowly to look at Mina, and he blinked, but otherwise no emotion like surprise that Mina had come in from the balcony flickered across his blank face.

“Stand and walk over to me,” Mina explained, trying to keep his instructions simple so Paxton’s spelled mind could process them. Paxton obeyed immediately. “Walk out to the balcony.” They walked outside together. Now came the tricky part. “Paxton, don’t make a sound. Climb over the balcony railing and carefully lower yourself down.”

While Paxton was still throwing a leg over the stone rail, Mina quickly shifted to his small form, flew to the ground, and shifted back to human. He stood under Paxton’s dangling body, hoping to ease the drop.

“Let go,” Mina called as loudly as he dared so Paxton could hear him. Paxton dropped the last few feet, right into Mina’s arms. Mina grunted at the impact, but got Paxton back on his feet. “Follow me,” Mina said finally, taking off at a quick walk through the hotel garden, heading for the closest building where they would be out of sight of any of the puppet masters looking out the window.

Mina didn’t know where to take Paxton now. They had to go somewhere safe, but also somewhere where Mina could show Paxton the river stone. It would help if Mina could do something to boost the memory that stone represented too. Mina bit his lip in thought as he hurried around the building and out into a side street, where he slowed their steps to a sedate walk so they didn’t alarm anyone still awake at such a late hour. The riverbank where they had played together was an obvious choice, but Mina didn’t know whether it was safe. If the puppeteers discovered Paxton was missing, the entire guard would get called up; standing in such a conspicuous place would get them caught. Yet, it was more important to try to break Paxton’s spell, and the puppeteers had looked like their discussion was going to go on for a while. There would be enough time to try the riverbank and then find somewhere to hide, Mina hoped.

“Walk with me, but keep your head down,” Mina instructed Paxton even as he looped their arms together so they could look like two lovers out for a late-night stroll.

The walk was not short, but Mina didn’t have the coin to hire a carriage, and anyway, a driver might recognize Paxton and ruin everything. Mina jumped at every sound, expecting to hear the emergency bells start tolling at any moment, but they mercifully remained silent. After a long forty-five minutes, they finally reached the park that led down to the river path.

Another five minutes of walking had them at the river’s edge. The sound of the water splashing against the banks was soothing, and Mina needed all the calming influences he could get right now. Still, he had to focus on his task.

“Hold out your hands,” he told Paxton, who obeyed immediately. “I’m going to place a stone in your palm. Don’t drop it,” he added firmly. If Paxton dropped the river stone now, the last of Mina’s hoard would be gone forever. Paxton obligingly clutched the stone tightly as Mina slowly let go of it. “Think, Paxton. Think really hard about what that stone represents and why I brought you to the riverbank to give it to you. Think with all your might.”

Mina stepped back and all he could do was hope for the best. Paxton was staring down at the stone in his hands, and a second later, he slowly looked up at the river. He took the initiative to look up! Mina held his breath, then let it out with a cough when he realized he needed to breathe in again.

Were Paxton’s hands shaking? Mina squinted, trying to see, but then Paxton’s shoulders started to shiver and Mina knew for certain. Something was happening.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Paxton wrenched his eyes away from the river and turned to look at Mina.

“Mi…na…?” he breathed out, his voice as shaky as his body.

Paxton’s knees collapsed and Mina dove forward with a yelp to grab him before Paxton fell into the water. They landed tangled in a heap on the soft grass.

“Wha—” Paxton shivered, huddled in Mina’s arms.

“You were cursed with a stone heart, turned into a puppet,” Mina tried to explain.

“Bast…ards,” Paxton said. His free hand reached up to grasp the folds of Mina’s dress. Mina was happy to see Paxton’s other hand was still locked in a fist around the river stone. Mina wrapped his arms around Paxton, holding him close, and closed his eyes.

In every daydream of that long-ago day when they were children, Mina had longed for something more, but he had never dared put those wishes into actual visions of what could be. This, though—hugging Paxton tight, feeling Paxton clutch at him in return—it was close. But, at the same time, Paxton was suffering and Mina was the closest form of comfort. Although Mina knew he shouldn’t read into this as anything more, it was hard to resist, as all dreams were.

Bells started tolling from far away, and Mina sat up with a jolt. He couldn’t tell whether he was hearing the clock bells tolling the hour, or the alarm bells. When the smaller, emergency bells on the bridge started to ring, Mina knew it was the alarm bells.

“We have to get out of here, get out of the open,” Mina told Paxton. “Come on, lean on me.” He helped Paxton struggle to his feet and wrapped Paxton’s arm over Mina’s shoulders.

They couldn’t go back to Mina’s house. Even with the privacy of the attic, Aunt Jubilee would notice the sounds of a second person and wouldn’t hesitate to turn Paxton in. Besides, they would need to cross the bridge to get there, and there was no way Mina would be able to sneak Paxton past the guard post there. Mother’s house was Mina’s only option, and luckily it was only about a ten-minute walk from the park.

Mina and Paxton walked, Mina helping keep Paxton steady when he stumbled. They managed to get out of the park in the lee of the bridge before the guards mobilized a search, and Mina resolutely turned them in the direction of his mother’s house. He took back roads as much as possible, staying out of the glow of the street lamps.

The guard would seal all the main exits out of the city and would inspect everyone who tried to cross a main thoroughfare like the bridge, but Mina hoped they would start their door-to-door search immediately around the hotel, which would give them more time.

So late at night, no one else was around, especially on the side roads. Mina was glad to be unobserved as he dragged a shivering Paxton the last few blocks. He banged on the front door. There was a clatter inside and then the sound of running footsteps before the door was flung open.

“Are you okay?” Sebastian asked breathlessly. His eyes were wild as he studied Mina, who no doubt looked horrible: exhausted, makeup running, dress dirty. “No, don’t answer now. Come inside.”

He ushered them both inside, and Mina saw his eyes widen in shock when Mina helped Paxton across the threshold. Still, Sebastian shut the door and firmly locked it and made sure they were both settled onto a couch in the nearby sitting room before starting to ask questions.

“Mina, I heard the bells. What’s going on? Why’s the prince here?”

Mina shook his head. “You know I went to the ball to see him, Sebastian?”

Sebastian let out a sly grin. “I figured you were going to see some boy. I didn’t realize you were going to kidnap the prince in the process,” he added as his grin turned into a frown. “What happened?”

“Paxton was under a stone-heart spell,” Mina explained and felt Paxton shiver against him at the reminder. “I had to break it. Do you remember the day Father took me to one of his meetings and I ran off? Father had half the city searching for me, and the only reason he couldn’t get the entire city searching was because Prince Paxton had also chosen to run off?”

“And the guard found you both, playing together at the river.” Sebastian nodded. “Your father decided not to take you to any more meetings until you grew up, but he unfortunately died before then.”

Mina nodded. “I took Paxton to the river,” he said, and he couldn’t stop one hand from reaching out to cover the river stone still clutched in Paxton’s hand. “But when I was flying around the hotel, trying to figure out where Paxton was stashed, I overheard some men talking. They said they were going to marry someone of their choosing to Paxton, then kill the king. After Paxton was crowned, they were going to kill him too. Then, Paxton’s widow would marry one of their sons—who I guess must be in line for the throne too—and that would give that son more legitimacy to become the next king. Sebastian, I had to take him away from there.”

Sebastian nodded again and opened his mouth to reply, but Paxton cut in.

“He calls himself the grand duke,” Paxton said softly. He finally looked up from their clasped hands around the stone, and his green eyes were dull with exhaustion and sadness. Mina was happy to see any emotion at all, but he couldn’t help tightening his hand to try to comfort Paxton a little. “He’s my father’s younger brother, so he received the honorary title of duke when my father became king. An honorary title is…lackluster.” He laughed dryly. “I don’t think my uncle appreciated not being king, so he did everything he could to elevate his standing at court. The problem with an honorary title is it can’t be passed down; it can only be bestowed. When my brother has children, one of the younger ones will get the title, just as my uncle did.”

“So he’s trying to make his son king instead?” Sebastian asked. He was pacing in front of them as he spoke. “A stone-heart spell is incredibly illegal, but it’s effective. You would have married whomever you were told to, and killed yourself when they told you to. It’s completely untenable that someone was willing to try it.” He stopped walking and looked at them both, then shook his head wryly. “Enough of my nattering. You both need a bath and some rest. Come, I have a safe place for Paxton to stay.”

Sebastian waited for them to struggle to their feet, then led the way down the hall and up a back staircase. He paused on a landing where a large portrait of one of Mina’s maternal relatives was hanging. Sebastian pressed the center of one of the flowers in the carved wood frame, and with a click the painting swung open like a door. He held it open for Mina and Paxton, then followed them inside.

Mina gasped, staring around at the room. “My…my hoard,” he whispered out through lips that suddenly felt numbed. It was all here. His bedroom furniture, his jewelry box—which looked as full as it always had before Aunt Jubilee arrived—and even some of his childhood toys were all set around the room.

“I saved as much as I could,” Sebastian said as he gently rested a hand on Mina’s shoulder. “As soon as I realized what your monster of an aunt was doing, I bought it all using various shell companies and straw buyers.” He walked over to Mina’s jewelry box and carefully lifted the lid. It was full. Mina could see all of his childhood jewelry—at least the items Aunt Jubilee hadn’t decided to keep for herself—tucked inside. Sebastian reached into a smaller compartment and took out a ring. “Of course, as soon as I realized your father’s death was suspicious and your aunt was getting custody, I broke into your house and stole this before she realized what she could have gotten her hands on.” He held out the ring to Mina, who took it in shaking hands. His signet ring, silver with a blooming rose engraved on the front.

“You’re nobility?” Paxton asked. He had collapsed on the edge of the bed where his body sagged with exhaustion, but he looked with interest at the ring.

Mina shook his head. “Not really. My mother was the fourth daughter of a baron with far too much money. He had eleven children total, and he didn’t care who my mother married so long as they were well off enough to take care of her. My father was a very well-to-do businessman, and my mother made her fortune on her own thanks to savvy investments, so he was happy enough to let her be. One day, he decided he was going to have family rings made for all of his grandchildren, and this showed up.”

“Lord Indagreet,” Sebastian said with a laugh. “He’s the court eccentric, but I learned never to let his odd beliefs distract me from his very shrewd mind. That ring might only be a connection to a barony, but it still affords you access to far more places than you’d expect. If this aunt of yours I keep hearing terrible things about had gotten her hands on it, well, it very likely would have been bad.”

“Which is why I stole it,” Sebastian added. “You were too young at the time to protect it from her, Mina, so I protected it for you.”

“Thank you,” Mina said, and his voice was shaking as he tried to suppress tears. “I thought all of it was gone.”

“Yes, well,” Sebastian said gruffly. “Let me find sleepwear for your prince. I suggest you remain here, Your Highness. This room is well hidden, so you should be safe from the grand duke should any searchers come calling. Mina, should I make up a room for you too?”

Paxton’s shoulders stiffened, and he looked up at Mina, his eyes pleading as if to say he didn’t want to be alone. Mina smiled gently back.

“I’ll stay with Paxton, Sebastian.”

Sebastian didn’t look surprised. “I’ll collect sleepwear for you too. Will you be returning to your male shape?”

Mina nodded through a yawn. “Yes.”

Sebastian left. Mina focused on his inner self, pulling his magic along the pathways that changed his gender, and let out a sigh of relief when his male form took over. The corset sagged against his flat chest and slimmer hips, but Mina ignored it. He couldn’t help slowly walking around the room, gently brushing his fingers over everything.

His hoard was safe. Mina couldn’t believe it. The necklace his parents had given him for his third birthday, with its thumbnail-size ruby surrounded by diamond chips, lay on top of the jewelry in his jewelry box. He had thought he would never see it again.

Paxton let out a soft grunt, and Mina looked over to see he was struggling to remove his formal jacket. It was stiff with embroidery and didn’t want to bend to allow Paxton to contort his shoulders to slide it off. Mina hurried over and helped Paxton with the jacket and with the buttons on his dress shirt underneath. Gravity took care of the pants with even more formal embroidery after Paxton undid the ties holding them on.

Mina liked the idea of finally getting out of his formalwear. Once he was sure Paxton was set, Mina reached behind himself to try to get the ties holding the corset tight, but the strings kept slipping through his fingers.

Paxton let out a soft laugh, which made Mina’s heart soar, but then Paxton’s fingers gently pushed Mina’s aside, and Mina’s heart started thumping heavily for another reason. Paxton loosened the corset quickly and the entire dress fell to the floor. Mina stepped out of the dress and sank onto the bed next to Paxton.

They were both in their underwear, but Mina didn’t have the energy to care. When Paxton let out a yawn and lay down, Mina followed suit.

“Thank you for saving me,” Paxton said softly.

“You’re very welcome,” Mina replied even as his eyes were slipping closed as sleep grabbed him and pulled him under.

*

The sounds of someone puttering around, the clink of dishes, and the smells of hot coffee and fresh bread woke Mina.

He had thought he wouldn’t remember what sleeping on a proper mattress would feel like. Mina had been using a straw pallet on the floor or sleeping up on the rafters in his small form, for so long. Yet his old bed from childhood, stuffed with down feathers, had welcomed him back into its warm embrace as if he had never left. Mina was also comfortably curled around Paxton, with one arm thrown over Paxton’s torso holding him close. Paxton’s puffed breaths caressed against Mina’s collarbone.

Mina carefully craned his neck to see who was making the noise and saw Sebastian putting down a cloche-covered plate on the table at the little dining area Mina had used to have in his bedroom suite back home. Sebastian must have heard Mina move because he looked up and smiled at Mina.

“Breakfast,” Sebastian explained, his voice soft since Paxton was still sleeping. “I’ve left out some clothes for you both. When you’re dressed, please come down to the sitting room. I have some ideas of how to set things right.”

Mina nodded. Now that he was awake and could think straight, Mina knew they couldn’t put this off any longer. The guard was no doubt going door to door, searching every nook and cranny. Even with a concealed room to hide in, Paxton wouldn’t be safe until they dealt with the grand duke.

Sebastian left and Mina gently untangled himself from Paxton. He rolled over onto his back and hissed as the pressure ignited muscle pain. When he stood—which was a slow process as sharp bolts of pain shot up and down his spine—Mina hunched like an old man and hobbled his way into the washroom to get clean. By the time he was dressed in one of the two sets of men’s clothes Sebastian had set out, he was standing a little straighter as his muscles warmed up and stretched out, but Mina knew he wouldn’t be flying anywhere for the next few weeks, at least.

Paxton was sitting up and blinking owlishly as he gazed around the room. At the sight of Mina, his confused expression faded into a smile.

“Breakfast,” Mina said. “There’s clean clothes for you too.” He waved toward the washroom. Paxton climbed out of bed and walked into the washroom. Mina went to explore their breakfast options.

He was just settling into a cup of coffee, wondering when the last time he had been able to enjoy the luxury of hot coffee first thing in the morning had been, when Paxton joined him.

Fresh eggs, soft boiled and still steaming, and actual buttered toast cut into points to dip in the runny yolk; Mina had to close his eyes for a long moment after the first bite just to keep the tears at bay. He opened his eyes just in time to see Paxton let out a shuddering breath of his own.

“I know I ate when I was under the spell,” Paxton explained when he noticed Mina looking at him in concern, “but I couldn’t taste any of it. This is the first real food I’ve eaten in…” He trailed off and swallowed hard.

Mina watched Paxton for a moment, wondering how he could help. Paxton mostly needed the chance to feel things again, and starting with a good breakfast certainly seemed to be helping, but Mina also thought Paxton needed to know he wasn’t alone in his pain.

“I don’t know the last time I was actually able to eat hot food,” Mina said, and if his voice was a little strangled from his own tears, Paxton was kind enough not to comment. “Usually I ate whatever scraps were left over from my aunt’s meals, or, if I was lucky, one of the kitchen staff would leave me a small plate to eat once meal service was over and I wouldn’t get in their way.”

“But you have this place?” Paxton asked, his voice gentle as if he didn’t know whether his question might be painful for Mina.

Mina laughed dryly. “When my father, erm, died, my aunt got custody of me. She immediately started spending my inheritance—the money she was only supposed to use to provide for my upkeep—on herself and her two daughters. She destroyed my father’s business, ended up selling most of his various investments and such for the hard cash, until all that was left was the house and the animal shelter that shares the back courtyard. Given she started the process by selling off my hoard, I realized pretty quickly I had to hide whatever she didn’t already know about. I’ve visited Sebastian a few times over the years, but it wasn’t until the ball that I used any of my mother’s resources.”

“You’re of legal age now. Why not leave?” Paxton looked curious, but there was a hard set to his chin that said Aunt Jubilee wouldn’t be happy with life after Paxton was finished with her.

Mina shook his head and ate a few more bites of toast dipped in egg before he replied. “She filed a civil suit on my birthday, claiming because she had put all the work in for so many years, my father’s businesses and assets should be transferred fully to her name. It’s been stuck in the legal system ever since. I was afraid if she learned about my mother’s money, she would try to claim that too in the suit.”

Paxton nodded. He took a delicate sip of coffee and wiped his mouth with a napkin before sitting back in his seat. Mina ate the last few bites of his own breakfast. He poured himself more coffee and offered the pot to Paxton, who waved him off with a smile of thanks.

“My problems will handle themselves eventually,” Mina finally said after a few long minutes of silence while he enjoyed the coffee and Paxton seemed to enjoy sitting across the table, watching him. “Yours are more pressing. Sebastian said he has some ideas. Let’s clean up and go find him.”

Mina waited for Paxton’s nod of agreement. He finished the last gulp of coffee in his cup and started collecting plates. Sebastian had left the tray on the small table by the door, so Mina used that to carefully stack the dirty dishes. After a moment of watching, as if Paxton didn’t know how to clean up after a meal—which, given he was a prince with servants who had always done that chore for him, he probably didn’t—he lent a hand. Mina hefted the full tray in his arms, and Paxton hurried ahead of him to get the door.

They walked to the kitchen together, where Mina left the tray on the counter by the sink, and then headed to the sitting room where Sebastian was waiting.

“There you are,” Sebastian said with a smile as he stood from the armchair at their arrival. He gestured for them to take seats on the couch before returning to his chair.

“You said you had some ideas?” Mina asked.

“I do, but let me start with the situation here, first. Guards are going door to door conducting thorough searches of every house. They’re claiming Prince Paxton fell madly in love with a girl at the ball last night, but she was kidnapped. The prince is desperate to save her, so he ordered the extensive search and the city gates closed.” Paxton opened his mouth to comment, but Sebastian held out a firm hand to stop him. “I have an idea of how to get around that, before you start worrying,” Sebastian continued. “You see, Mina, your mother had a number of business interests in the capital, and I am known to travel there a couple times a year to oversee them. A lone man on horseback on a regularly taken journey would not raise suspicion. I can therefore get out of the city and reach the capital.”

“You can get word to my brother!” Paxton said with a gasp.

Sebastian grinned at him. “I’ll need a letter from you though,” he told Paxton. “Something that will let your brother know I am not delivering a ransom demand.”

Paxton smiled back and stood from the couch. He walked over to the writing desk in the corner and pulled out a piece of paper. “I’ve got just the thing.”

While Paxton was writing, Sebastian turned back to Mina. “The maid who comes to the house every day was here this morning. She said the grand duke is leading the search himself, but he’s only going near the noble’s estates. You should only get the guards in this neighborhood. I told her I was going to the capital to escape the ruckus, and that she should stay home until I return so she doesn’t get caught up by the guard for questioning. You and Prince Paxton should be undisturbed until the guard arrives.”

“Do I let them search the house?” Mina asked. The doorway to the secret room was very well concealed, but it seemed silly to just allow the guard into the house.

“Read the situation when it happens. If they’re busting down doors, then let them in, let them search, and let them leave. If they’re knocking politely and asking for permission?” He paused and a slow smile grew on his face. “Let them casually see your ring. I’d be interested to see if they even bothered to search your house, or based on the ring, were willing to believe your word that no kidnapped women were being held here. Certainly, if they do search the house, they’ll likely be a bit politer about it; they probably won’t go around ripping expensive paintings off the walls.”

Mina twisted the signet ring around his right pointer finger and bit his lip. All he had to do was act like a noble’s younger son—entitled and expecting deference—and the guard wouldn’t try as hard when they searched this house. Mina could do it; he had to in order to keep Paxton safe.

Paxton hurried back to the couches, a folded piece of paper in hand. “If you give this to my brother, he’ll know it’s from me and that you’re not the cause of my troubles.” He handed the letter to Sebastian, who stood and took it from him.

“Your Highness, I will go with all haste. My fastest horse will get me there in two days, and hopefully I’ll have completed my audience and be on my way back by day three.” Sebastian bowed to Paxton, nodded to Mina, and hurried out the door. The click as the front door closed and locked sounded a few seconds later.

They sat in silence for a few long moments. Mina kept twisting the ring on his finger and could feel Paxton’s eyes on him.

“What do we do now?” Paxton asked, his voice shattering the silence abruptly.

Mina released the ring and looked up, immediately caught in Paxton’s brilliant green gaze as Paxton looked earnestly at him.

“We wait,” Mina replied easily. It was all they could do. Sebastian was racing north to the capital to get help. Until then, it was Mina’s responsibility to keep Paxton out of harm’s way.

Mina stood and reached his hands out for Paxton to take so he could stand too. “Come on. Let’s get the chores done.”

“Chores?” Paxton asked, even though he followed Mina out of the sitting room and back towards the kitchen.

“Yes, chores,” Mina replied, cheekily grinning over his shoulder at Paxton. “If we leave those dishes for days until Sebastian comes back, he’ll have every right to scold us. Come on, Pax, it’ll be fun.”

Paxton’s frown said he didn’t agree with Mina, but he still continued following him all the way into the kitchen.

“First, water.”

Mina used the pump by the sink to fill a kettle, which he then hung over the fire. While that heated, he filled the sink most of the way with cold water and started carefully dropping the dishes inside to soak. He didn’t want boiling water, just nicely hot, so when the kettle started steaming, Mina grabbed a cloth to protect his hand and poured the water from the kettle into the sink.

“See, Pax, now we take a cloth, get it nice and soapy, and scrub the dishes clean. You get a clean cloth from over there, and you can dry.”

Paxton went over to the drawer Mina was pointing to and pulled out a fresh dishcloth. “What do I have to do?” he asked. He sounded genuinely curious, and when Mina glanced over, he was looking down at the cloth as if unsure what he was holding.

Mina reached into the depths of the sink and pulled out the first dish he found, a plate, and started scrubbing off the leftover butter and crumbs from the toast points.

“Dry off the water, and stack them on the counter. Once we’re done washing, we’ll put them away. See. Fun.”

“I don’t know that I’d call this fun,” Paxton said. He took the clean plate from Mina and started drying it earnestly, but then he looked up and a smile lifted his lips and brightened his eyes.

That smile, so beautiful and welcoming. Mina remembered that smile as a child on the banks of that river, when Paxton realized he had a brand-new friend to play with. Mina couldn’t help doing now what he had done then: he flicked some of the wash water at Paxton, who immediately gasped when the warm drops got his shirt wet. He put the dish down, then snapped the towel at Mina, who flicked more water at him.

Mina didn’t know exactly what happened after that, just water everywhere, giggling, and Paxton chasing Mina around the kitchen until Mina tripped and Paxton landed on top of him. Their faces were inches apart as Paxton stared into Mina’s eyes. And then, as if it was choreographed, both of their heads tilted perfectly and their lips met with a flash of heat. A feeling of rightness swept through Mina, warming him from the inside, and he helplessly lifted his arms to twine them around Paxton’s neck to pull Paxton closer.

The dishes didn’t get washed that morning. Or that afternoon.

When Mina’s stomach rumbled late that evening, they finally rolled out of bed and returned to the kitchen to explore the, thankfully full, larder. While Paxton fumbled to put together a plate of cheese, dried fruit, and crackers, Mina quickly finished the dishes. They returned to the hidden room to eat and enjoy being together for just a little bit longer.

*

Two days later, the inevitable knock on the front door echoed through the house. A forceful bang, bang, bang done by someone with authority, who expected to be obeyed, had Mina and Paxton both jumping in their seats. The pack of cards Paxton was holding flew out of his hands and fluttered to the floor.

“Guess I should go answer that,” Mina said, aiming for cheeky, but his voice quivered too much to pull it off.

He stood and took in a deep breath, before grabbing the jacket he had left draped over the back of his chair—his father would never have greeted visitors in his shirtsleeves, and Mina wasn’t about to either, not when he was pretending to be nobility—and headed for the door.

“I’m going to lock you in,” Mina reminded Paxton, although at this point neither of them needed the reminder. The words were comforting though. “Stay quiet. I’ll come back once they’re gone.”

“Mina—” Paxton stopped as if he didn’t know what he meant to say.

Mina turned at the door and eagerly took the two steps back into the room so Paxton could wrap his arms around Mina to pull him into a hug.

“You’ll do fine, Mina,” Paxton said softly. “Just keep your head up and your back straight, and they’ll listen to everything you have to say.” Paxton slowly unfolded his arms, but only so he could grip Mina by the shoulders and smile at him. “Now go.”

Mina went. He heard the click as Paxton closed the painting behind him, but then the sound was eclipsed by another bang, bang, bang from the front of the house. Mina hurried to the front hall, then slowed so he could make sure his lapels were straight as he walked the last few steps. He turned the lock and pulled open the door, then stepped onto the threshold.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen,” Mina told the six guardsmen arrayed in front of him. “My apologies for the wait. I had forgotten I sent my staff home to avoid all the ruckus and had to come answer the door myself.” Mina rested one hand on top of the other on his abdomen, and was gratified to see the eyes of the man with sergeant’s patches on his uniform flick downward at the movement. “How can I help you, Sergeant?”

“My lord, we come to search for His Highness’s missing bride. Are there any young women in your household?”

“I can save you the effort of searching here,” Mina replied, hoping the fact his heartbeat was thumping in his throat and his fingers were tingling with nerves was not visible to any of the guard. “There are no women in residence here, and I told the maid who comes every morning to clean not to bother until after your search is completed.”

“There are no women in your household?” the sergeant asked, his voice disbelieving. Yet, Mina could see some of the other guards shifting impatiently behind the sergeant.

“Be good to not have to search this big house,” one of the guards muttered to another.

“I’ll get home to my wife that much sooner tonight,” the other guard joked back with a rude snigger.

Mina and the sergeant both ignored the chatter, Mina because he was too nervous to take his full attention away from the sergeant, and the sergeant was too busy staring down at Mina as if waiting for Mina to crack and change his story. Well, Mina wasn’t going to crack, not when Paxton was relying on him.

“I’m afraid not,” Mina replied. He switched his hands, so his left one was on top where he could show he did not have a wedding band on his ring finger.

“We would like to search anyway,” the sergeant said.

Two of the guards behind the sergeant groaned. “Come on, Marcus,” one of them whined. “He’s just some noble’s brat. At most, he’s got last night’s whore still in bed. Let’s let him go back to her, and then finish this street so I can go home too!”

The sergeant closed his eyes briefly, as if trying to find the strength to handle the rude insubordination, but then he simply let out a breath and shook his head.

“Have a good day, my lord,” he said to Mina with a shallow bow. He turned and walked away, cuffing the loud guard on the back of the head as he went by.

Mina held himself together somehow as he calmly walked back into the house, closed the door, and turned the lock. Only once the door was completely secure behind him did Mina’s knees start shaking. He sank to the ground, both hands raised to cover his mouth as he panted and shook helplessly.

He did it! Mina had convinced the guards not to bother searching the house. He couldn’t believe it. He needed to tell Paxton!

Mina scrambled back to his feet and scurried through the house until he reached the painting. He pressed the switch to open the door and stumbled inside.

“They’re gone,” Mina gasped happily, out of breath but smiling widely.

Paxton was sitting stiffly upright at the table, but his shoulders relaxed at Mina’s words. He stood and walked over to Mina, his hands held out for Mina to grab.

Mina held on to Paxton’s hands and squeezed gently. “I showed them the ring, told them no women were in the house, and they left just like that. Can you believe it?”

Paxton smiled. “It’s because you’re so earnest. It’s hard not to believe in you.” He drew Mina farther into the room, and the painting swung shut behind them. “And now we return to being patient,” Paxton added.

He released one of Mina’s hands so he could move some of the hair that had fallen free from the previously neat tail Mina had pulled it into. Paxton’s fingers trailed over Mina’s forehead and brushed down to tuck the strand behind Mina’s ear. Except, Paxton’s hand didn’t move away afterward.

“You keep saving me,” Paxton said softly, his words as much of a caress as his fingers. Mina couldn’t help leaning his cheek into Paxton’s hand.

“I’m pretty sure it’s saving me too,” he replied, his own voice soft.

“Let’s keep saving each other then,” Paxton murmured even as his face drew closer to Mina’s. Their lips touched, and Mina let out a sigh and he leaned forward to press against Paxton.

Warmth bloomed in Mina’s chest, spreading through his body until even his fingertips were tingling with it. Mina felt so right, with Paxton in his arms, surrounded by his hoard, and he wouldn’t change anything about this moment. Well, almost anything, Mina realized, when Paxton angled his head just so and the warmth turned into wonderful, burning flames.

Paxton slowly pulled away, and the grin he shot Mina was full of promise. Mina couldn’t help grinning back, and happily went with Paxton as Paxton gently tugged Mina toward the bed.

*

The next two days passed much more easily than the first. With the worry about the guard taken care of, and what with the change in their relationship, the hours seemed to pass Mina by without notice. Isolated in their secret room, neither Mina nor Paxton knew how the grand duke’s search for Paxton was going, but Mina honestly wasn’t thinking too much about it. He had Paxton to distract him, and Paxton was a truly lovely distraction.

Midmorning on day five, however, Mina knew they needed to start thinking about the real world again.

“Sebastian could be back today,” he said to Paxton. They were both fresh from the bath and almost done eating a late breakfast.

Paxton set his tea cup back on the saucer and nodded. “Yeah. We should probably clean up a little.” He looked around the room and winced, and Mina winced too.

Dirty clothes were strewn everywhere, the bed was unmade, and stacks of used dishes covered every available flat surface. The room looked like a hedonistic den, and Mina didn’t want Sebastian to see it.

“I’ll start bringing the dishes down to the kitchen,” Mina said. He gulped the last bit of his tea and found the tray he had used to bring breakfast upstairs. Mina stacked plates, cups, and silverware onto the tray until it was as full as he thought he could safely carry. Paxton had already started gathering the dirty clothes from the floor, throwing them in the direction of the hamper. Mina left him to it.

The walk to the kitchen was short, and it wasn’t long before Mina had unloaded his dishes next to the sink for washing and was heading back upstairs to get more. He was about to press the switch to open the painting when an imperious bang, bang, bang sounded from the front door. Mina tumbled into the room, gasping.

“Someone’s at the door again,” he told Paxton, even as he dropped the tray onto the table and rushed to grab a jacket. He had his ring, a stop in front of the mirror showed he looked presentable—although his hair was still damp, but there wasn’t anything he could do about that—and he couldn’t stall any longer.

Paxton straightened his lapel at the door, and Mina tried not to look at the worried wrinkle that had appeared between Paxton’s eyebrows. Their last few days had been so happy. Why did someone have to ruin that now?

Mina couldn’t help hugging Paxton before letting himself back into the hallway. He double-checked the painting was firmly closed and then hurried down the stairs toward the front door.

Bang, bang, bang.

The knock was more forceful than earlier; likely Mina’s visitors were getting impatient. Sebastian had the key, so he wouldn’t be knocking. It had to be the guard. Mina still couldn’t make his feet move any faster. The longer the guard waited, the longer Paxton was safe. Still, the house was only so big and a few minutes later Mina was turning the lock and pulling open the door.

“May I help you?” he asked the waiting guard politely. It was the same sergeant as before, but this time he had double the number of companions, all of whom looked far more sharply dressed than the guard that had knocked last time. An ornate carriage waited on the drive, made of gold and gilt, with carved wood and a team of four identical gray horses. Mina didn’t know who was inside, but the sight had his heart rate skyrocketing. The grand duke would certainly ride in such a fancy carriage.

Mina fought to keep the worry off his face, and his hand from clenching into a fist. It was a lovely morning, and this was a simple social call, Mina tried to tell himself even as the sergeant studied him.

Instead of speaking, the sergeant stepped aside and nodded toward the carriage. A footman immediately sprang into motion, popping the door open and holding out a hand. A woman’s gloved hand reached out and rested on top of the footman’s, and she gripped it delicately as she climbed outside.

Aunt Jubilee studied the house first, and Mina saw the flash of greed that lifted the corners of her lips in a cruel smile. He had no doubt she was already imagining herself living in the house and how that would raise her social status, let alone what riches she could find inside to sell or exploit. Then her gaze fixed on Mina.

“Mina, darling! I’ve been so worried!” She gushed with sincerity, her hands clasped against her chest as if she were relieved to see him.

Mina knew her ploy, had known it the moment he chose to keep his mother’s assets hidden from her, and now she had found out. He had to keep her away from the house; not just because of Paxton, but because she would ruin everything Mina had suffered for. All those years of slaving under her, waiting for the court case to finish so he could finally leave her behind, and she was calling him “darling”?

No. Mina couldn’t let her win; for his own sake and for Paxton’s safety, Aunt Jubilee could not be allowed to take one step into the house.

“Do I know you, ma’am?” Mina asked, his tone as cutting as he could make it. “I certainly never gave you leave to address me so informally.” He was the grandchild of a baron—title-less and penniless at the moment, but a child of royalty nevertheless—and she was a glorified shopkeeper. He had to act his part and forcibly put her in her place.

Aunt Jubilee froze in place, her jaw dropping open in surprise. “But, Mina, dear, I raised you after your father’s unfortunate death.” She was pleading with him, still desperately trying to coerce him into playing into her scheme.

“You mean after my father’s murder?” Mina asked coldly. That stopped her again as she stumbled to find words to reply. Instead of waiting for her next sally, Mina turned to the sergeant. “This woman is not welcome on my property. She is a thief and quite possibly a murderer. Please remove her at once.”

The sergeant’s body twitched as he forcibly suppressed the urge to obey Mina, and he looked to the carriage. Apparently, someone important enough to command the sergeant was inside.

Mina wanted to call whoever it was out, to get everything out into the open and get it over with, but he knew he couldn’t. The longer he stalled, the more time Sebastian had to return and add his own authority to Mina’s.

“The order is every house must be searched,” the sergeant finally said, breaking through the awkward silence. “She claims to be this home’s rightful owner and has given permission for a full search to be conducted.”

Mina clenched his jaw, then forced himself to relax. Aunt Jubilee had no legal basis for her claim.

“When my mother passed away, she left her home, businesses, and money to me, but kept in the care of her lover until I turned eighteen. This woman has never seen this house before, and has absolutely no claim on any of my mother’s assets. That she says otherwise only reinforces my statement that she is a thief.”

Mina could see Aunt Jubilee open her mouth and the fiery glare in her eyes that said she was about to lose her composure, but then the footman sprang forward again. He pulled the carriage door open, but this time didn’t offer his hand. A man stepped out onto the drive and started walking over. He also took a moment to study the house, but Mina couldn’t read anything off his blank face. Then he focused on Mina, who had to hold back a gasp. The stranger’s eyes were the exact same shade of green as Paxton’s, but where Paxton’s were warm and open, the stranger’s were cold and hard. He had to be related to Paxton, and since this wasn’t the king, he had to be the grand duke.

Aunt Jubilee curtseyed extremely low to the ground and held it there as if she were standing in front of the king. The sergeant and the rest of the guard saluted, holding their hands by their foreheads without moving.

Mina knew what was due to a member of the royal family and to a duke, especially from someone of his negligible station, but Mina just couldn’t make his back bend in a bow. Everyone else continued their genuflections while Mina stood still, and the grand duke tried to stare him down. Finally, after another few moments in which Aunt Jubilee started to wobble, the grand duke waved his hand, and everyone else relaxed.

“As a citizen of this great nation, you are ordered to hand over Prince Paxton immediately.” The grand duke’s voice boomed, as if he were used to using its power as yet another way to subdue others.

Mina fought to keep both his knees and his voice steady as he replied. “On whose orders?”

The grand duke’s eyes opened wide in surprise, then narrowed with calculation as he studied Mina.

“The king’s orders, of course. Who else’s?”

Mina forced himself to look away from the grand duke, over toward the carriage where the door remained open next to the attentive footman.

“Is the king here too?” Mina knew that was an asinine question to ask, but he was running out of ideas. With the grand duke here, nothing Mina said would prevent them from eventually searching the house, which meant the only thing really keeping Paxton safe at the moment was one measly painting. Mina could only hope the longer he stalled, the more impatient the guard would get, and the less attentive they would be in their search. Plus, the longer he stalled, the more time Sebastian had to get back to the city. Mina could only hope he had gotten to the king as planned by day three, and was almost back to the city by now. Maybe he would get back before the grand duke clapped Mina in chains.

“If you will not release Prince Paxton, then we will be forced to save him ourselves!” the grand duke roared again, his voice echoing powerfully from house to house.

“Can I see this supposed order?” Mina asked, slightly amazed at how audacious he was being. “Actually seeing the king’s signature on the order might convince me it’s real.”

The grand duke turned to the sergeant, apparently done dealing with Mina. “Sergeant, arrest this miscreant at once on charges of insubordination and impersonating the nobility.”

The sergeant looked uncomfortable, but still reached for the pouch that held his restraints. He had to obey the duke, Mina understood that, but he couldn’t help wondering what the sergeant would do if Mina dashed back inside and locked the door. Probably break it down, unfortunately, which would certainly stall for time, but likely wouldn’t help his cause in the long run. Mina took a step to the side, away from the sergeant so the sergeant would have to lunge to grab him.

The grand duke was glaring and waiting expectantly, the sergeant was gathering his restraints, and Mina was trying to decide his best course of action when the clip-clop of at least a dozen horses started getting closer. Everyone turned to look—Mina glad for further distractions, although he could guess by the darkening countenance on the grand duke’s face that he wasn’t happy about it at all—and it was only a few seconds before the group rounded the corner and came into view.

Sebastian was leading them, and Mina let out a sigh of relief, except Sebastian was wearing heavy armor and a stern expression, neither of which Mina thought he ever used. Mina looked around the group and found a second Sebastian, this one much more familiar in regular clothes.

Sebastian had a twin? Mina hadn’t known that, although he had to admit all he really knew about Sebastian was that he was Mina’s mother’s lover and the caretaker of her estate. Mina hadn’t had the time to spend with Sebastian to really learn about him, so for all Mina knew, Sebastian could have dozens of siblings.

A man in the middle of the group rode forward, and Sebastian’s twin moved to the side to let him through. This new man had the same green eyes as the grand duke and Paxton; Mina didn’t need the coronet on his head to show him this was the king.

Mina immediately bowed.

“I received a missive from you, Uncle, saying Paxton was kidnapped,” the king said. His voice was soft, yet it somehow managed to have the same amount of power as the grand duke’s yelling. No one missed a single word. “I immediately traveled here to aid in the search, and yet I find you accosting Paxton’s fiancé instead of searching for him?”

“F-fiancé?” Aunt Jubilee stuttered.

“Of course. Paxton and Mina have been betrothed since they were children. Now, Uncle, I am waiting for an explanation, if you please.”

The grand duke had an ugly expression on his face, full of hatred and anger and a lot of jealousy. He wiped it away the second he realized the king was looking at him, replacing it with a smarmy smile.

“Your Highness, I was merely trying to ascertain Prince Paxton’s health. He left the ball in secret, without informing any of his secretaries of his plans. We could only assume the worst.”

“I see. Except, we stopped by the hotel in question prior to coming here, and I was informed all of Paxton’s secretaries had been fired about three days after he left for his grand tour. The guards told me Paxton was lifeless for much of the trip. One even said he remembered Paxton saying how excited he was to see the Nantax Bridge again, but by the time Paxton arrived here, that excitement had mysteriously vanished. I have to wonder, Uncle, why that might be? I told myself no one in my family would do something as cruel as curse Paxton, but then I remembered how much you like to boast about your prowess with curses. I also know you haven’t been training Paxton to take over as the grand duke, which you should be.”

The grand duke was completely white in the face, but his chin was set. “How dare you chastise me, the grand duke! I am—”

“I am the king! Of course, I dare. And you are no longer the grand duke. I filed the paperwork to strip you of the title and give it to Paxton the moment I realized what you were about. Unlike you, I know Paxton will pass the title on to one of my younger children. Captain?”

Sebastian’s brother dismounted and strode forward. The ex-grand duke had gone from white-faced to purple, and although his mouth was moving up and down, no words were escaping. Suddenly, he flung his hands outward, gesturing toward the king. Sebastian’s brother threw one of his hands forward. A concussive blast punched Mina in the chest, sending him staggering into the sergeant, who helped steady him.

When Mina looked up again, the ex-grand duke was sprawled on the ground, and Aunt Jubilee was crouched with her arms up to protect her head. No one else had moved, or they had all recovered faster than Mina. Sebastian’s brother knelt at the ex-grand duke’s side, two fingers pressed to the pulse point in his neck.

“He’s alive, Majesty,” he said.

“Then we’ll cart him back, and he’ll be tried in traitor’s court.”

A flurry of movement started at the king’s words. Soldiers dismounted, someone put cuffs on the ex-grand duke, and a group of soldiers lifted him and carried him away. Aunt Jubilee was helped to her feet and let out a disbelieving shriek when her own arms were cuffed behind her back. She was led away too. Sebastian pushed through the melee until he reached Mina’s side.

He gestured for them both to go inside. “I'm happy we arrived in time, but you did a damn good job holding him off.”

“I was hoping you were on your way,” Mina replied, glad to hand back responsibility to Sebastian for the moment.

“Turns out, one of the guards was suspicious of how Prince Paxton and the ex-grand duke were acting. When Paxton went missing, he went outside the chain of command here and sent a carrier pigeon to his superior back at the capital. I met the king’s retinue about a half day’s ride from the capital, and when I handed over Paxton’s letter, they doubled their speed to get here on time. We would have been earlier if we hadn’t needed to stop by the hotel to get the full story, and then the king had to draft the papers to strip the grand duke of his title.” They stopped walking in the foyer, and Sebastian gestured toward the back stair leading to Paxton. “Speaking of the king, why don’t you go tell Paxton he’s here. I’ll make us some tea. Come to the sitting room.”

Mina winced at the reminder of the kitchen. “The kitchen isn’t exactly…clean,” he said sheepishly.

Sebastian laughed. “I expected as much. I’ll manage. Go get Paxton.”

Mina went, hurrying through the hallways and up the stairs to the painting. He pressed the switch and stepped inside.

“You’re okay!” Paxton gasped, dashing forward to yank Mina into a hug. “I heard yelling. What happened?”

Mina fell into Paxton’s arms, glad for the security and warmth in his embrace. With only Paxton here to see, Mina could burrow into that comfort. He was shivering as adrenaline began to wear off, and Mina remembered everything he had so brazenly done.

“It’s okay. I’ve got you,” Paxton murmured into his hair.

Calm came slowly, but with Paxton there to hold him, Mina was finally able to take a deep breath.

“First it was just the guard. I was able to hold them off just like last time, except the second it got heated my aunt joined the fray. I don’t know how she found out about me being here, but she pretended to be worried about me. I could tell what she really wanted was my mother’s money, and I’ve been hiding that from her for so long, so I was able to stop her. But then the grand duke got involved.”

“Uncle is here!” Paxton gasped. He tried to pull away from Mina, as if he was going to personally go scold the ex-grand duke, but Mina held tight. Paxton settled back into Mina’s arms. “Tell me what happened.”

“He yelled a lot and threatened to have me arrested; he was winning and would probably be tearing this house apart brick by brick to search for you, but then the king arrived.”

“Gregori? That idiot. He shouldn’t have come all the way out here.” Paxton pulled away from Mina, but only so he could grab Mina’s hand and gently pull him outside and down the stairs.

“He was worried about you,” Mina explained, although he willingly went where Paxton was pulling. “When he found out what happened, he stripped your uncle of his title and gave it to you.”

Paxton stopped in his tracks, and Mina bumped into his back. “He did what?”

Mina couldn’t tell if Paxton was angry or shocked, or both, but a second later he continued moving, except this time it was more of a stomp than a walk. Paxton threw open the doors to the sitting room and stomped right up to where the king was sitting, a cup of steaming tea in one hand.

“What asinine things are you doing, Greg?”

King Gregori slowly took a sip from his cup, and carefully returned it to the saucer waiting on the nearby table.

“I received a missive stating you had been kidnapped, only to find the truth even worse. The stone-heart spell is not something even my best mages could have removed. You’re lucky your fiancé was able to come to your aid.”

Fiancé. King Gregori had mentioned that earlier, but Mina had assumed it was a ploy to distract the ex-grand duke. He wouldn’t be mentioning it again if he weren’t serious though.

“Paxton, are we…” He couldn’t get the words out, but as Paxton turned and saw Mina’s hopeful face, he smiled.

Paxton reached into his pocket and pulled out the river stone. He held it out for Mina to see. “I know you remember the day we met. We had both snuck away from boring meetings our fathers were attending and found each other at the river. It turns out, our fathers were meeting each other to see if we might be a good match, except when they went to find us to conduct a formal introduction, we had both vanished.”

King Gregori laughed and cut in. “It was the talk of the court for months. Prince Paxton escaped from all his keepers, evaded the guard who were supposed to watch him, and ran off before he could meet the potential fiancé that had been so carefully chosen for him. And where do they find him, hours later? Having the time of his life with said fiancé. He cried for two weeks when we made him go home, demanding to know where his Mina was.”

Paxton shot his brother a look, and King Gregori stopped talking, but his grin said he had plenty more stories to tell, and Mina would likely be hearing all of them later.

“Our fathers signed an initial contract that evening, contingent on us still being willing in twenty years,” Paxton continued. “Except, things seemed to go wrong from there. First, your father died, Mina. We thought to give you a while to grieve and then approach you about coming to live at the castle with us, since you only had your aunt left. But then our father died, too, and the mourning period and then the coronation for Greg took all of our attention. By the time we tried to look for you again, you had vanished. We searched, of course. Part of the reason I set up the excuse to travel from city to city was in the hopes you would hear about it and come see me.”

“That—that day by the river. You really remember it as strongly as I do?” Mina had to ask, and if his voice was a little shaky with tears, no one commented.

“Why do you think the sight of this stone was able to break the stone-heart spell?” Paxton asked, and his voice was just as rough. “It’s one of my happiest memories.” His hand holding Mina’s was so warm, and as Paxton lifted his other hand with the stone in it to cup Mina’s cheek, Mina couldn’t help leaning into it.

“Right,” King Gregori said with a clap of his hands. “Clearly, this means you still consent twenty years later. I’d say that contract is fulfilled. First, we have traitor’s court. And, of course, we have to throw out that civil suit against you, Mina. I’ll see that whatever is left of your father’s trading and business empire is returned to you.”

“More of it is still alive than you think, Mina,” Sebastian added. “I’ve been doing what I can there, same as I did for your hoard.”

“Even better,” King Gregori cut in before Mina could close his mouth and formulate some sort of reply. “Once all the legal crap is completed, we’ll start planning your marriage. I hope you’re both willing to wait a few months?”

Mina looked away from Sebastian and back to Paxton, who immediately smiled at him. Paxton knelt on one knee and held out the stone again. “Mina, will you marry me?”

Mina’s own knees hit the ground before he realized they had given out, but he barely noticed the impact as his shaking hands reached out to clasp Paxton’s and the stone. His answering smile was bright with happy tears. This was the dream he hadn’t dared dream, up in the rafters of his attic room with only memories to sustain him. How could he answer anything other than “Yes?”