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It went exactly as she planned. First, to get everyone except Dynan out of the house, or otherwise disposed in some way. There was a party at the home of a friend of a friend who at her suggestion, invited Olan Jacar, which was the same thing as inviting Dain, who managed to convince his guard that attending would be safe. They were both recovered from whatever had assaulted them, no one knew what again. The frequency of these oddities was starting to be just as annoying as Dain.

The timing had to be right, too, not just for getting Dain out of the house, but for her cycle. The schedule was slightly later than she wanted it to be. There was the chance that even if everything went the way she envisioned it would, even if her body was in as receptive a condition as possible, it still might not be enough. There was, of course, the issue of Dynan himself, who despite all confessions to the contrary, remained as inept and restrained as the day she met him. Fondling was about as far as he could manage before something; a noise, a phantom, one of his guards, or his brother interrupted.

Not this time, she told herself.

This time, nothing would get in the way of the culmination of a plan conceived when she saw how things were, not so long ago, after she’d come to know Dain would never accept her. It wasn’t enough to be content with the arrangements her father had already made. Oh, Gauvin Telaerin was as fine a man as any, young, sure of himself, and certain of his place in society. He was handsome. He was a Prince, fourth in line to the throne, though without any chance of attaining that high station, the same age as Kamien, who he was a close friend to. They were both military men.

Liselle had never considered Kamien, pausing to do so, but discounted the idea, even though he was at least an equal to Gauvin in stature. Kamien would be Cobalt’s Ambassador eventually. Traveling to so many distant and exciting places captured her imagination. Of course, as much as Dynan and Dain hated him, she might not see her home again for years on end. She shook her head. No, for her, it was Dynan or none of them.

She did care for him. For someone who would be the next King he was sweet and unassuming. Unlike Dain in every way, Dynan did everything he could to make her happy. Despite that though, she began to question how much she could abide. There were days she found his dependence on Dain an extreme annoyance. She didn’t understand why Dynan put up with him, or tolerated the way Dain treated her. Dynan had finally taken a stand over it, but it had come at her insistence. He even refused to be around Dain, but then the state of depression brought on by the separation was even more annoying. It seemed sometimes he only feigned happiness when he was with her.

All of that would change in a few short hours. Patiently, she waited through the day, assisting Shalis with the plans for the Spring Festival, which was coming up in just two days. Ambrose was scheduled to arrive in the morning, another issue of timing that couldn’t be helped. After the festival, they were all going back to the Palace where the level of planning required was infinitely more complex. They watched Dynan much more closely there than here, to the extent his bedroom had motion detectors and possibly imagers installed. She found that out from Gauvin.

No, this plan was complex enough. Liselle checked her list frequently, throughout the day, making sure the party at Olan Jacar’s was still on, that Dain was still leaving, that Dynan wasn’t, though Dain asked his brother more than once to go with him, watching Dain out the door with all his friends, then dinner and then bed for Shalis.

Liselle gave her the acquired sleeping mixture, three drops of the substance since Shalis never slept through the night. It was exhausting, constantly having to get up and check on her, find her up wandering around, or even just sitting and staring out the window. Tonight, she wouldn’t stir.

Tonight, Lady Hendel wouldn’t stir either, but Liselle only gave her a drop and a half. She was too old to be heavily sedated. There were two other maids. Under the pretense of sharing the last of the day’s gossip over a glass of honey wine, Liselle saw them all to bed. She didn’t dare try to drug the guards. It was a risk, but she didn’t worry too much about them. They generally made sure Dynan was in for the night. Beyond indoors, they didn’t care where he was or what he was doing. Dain’s new shadow, the half-woman, a military professional of all things, went with him to the party. Lors and Regan were spared too, though she worried most about Regan. Her door would be locked later and she doubted Regan would barge into her room, even if he knew Dynan was with her.

As for Dynan, Liselle established the routine in a short time, inviting him to her sitting room at the end of the day where they would talk. Liselle was careful to leave the door open. After a time, Lady Hendel would come and say goodnight. That was Dynan’s cue to leave, which he always did. Lady Hendel would wait for that to happen, wish Liselle a pleasant night and close the door as she left.

The other drug she acquired was meant to completely strip away any inhibition. She tapped a small amount of the powder into Dynan’s glass of wine when he wasn’t looking. There were other preparations she made, kept out of sight, oils and lotions she imagined she would produce and it wouldn’t seem too contrived, tucked away in her nightstand. There was another mixture she intended to use, a liquid of just the right consistency and tinged with red that she would spill between her legs and on the sheet, later, when he was asleep.

She smiled over the plan, sipping her wine and watching him while the drug started to take effect. There was a level of confusion she hadn’t expected, but guessed was somewhat normal for someone so guarded as he. When he said he should go, looking to the open sitting room door for Lady Hendel, all Liselle had to do was whisper in his ear, no.