And just as quickly as her mind was made up, a thousand letters were sent to Dru’s nobility and wealthy bachelors. A great courtship ball was to be had—hopefully some fun would come of it, and doubly hopefully, Belmardina would be married off.

To make the offer of her daughter more enticing, the duchess’ letters also included an incenting line: “Though not a wizard or a witch, Belmardina has one powerful magic spell she can perform on command. Marry her and she will reveal it to you.”

That summer guests and suitors arrived at the duchess’ little castle in droves. Belmardina delighted in the attention she received, unknowing that the whole thing was mostly a plot by her mother to get rid of her, and hopefully gain some assets through the marriage.

“But, if worse comes to worse,” The duchess told herself in the mirror on the morning of the ball, “I will be glad to send her away with no gain.”

The ball began with the usual gusto of the middling province of Umohaw: fanfares for every guest and gifts of chocolates and silver chalices for all. Belmardina allowed each suitor to kiss the top of her hand, except for those without lips such as the kraat king, Blutgang, and the high-ranking banker dragon, Gholsmart.

Belmardina flirted with every suitor whether she was interested in them or not. She had no grace but plenty of confidence. The younger suitors were easily taken in by her roguish personality. The older ones were immediately put-off by her overt gregariousness, but that did not prevent them from courting her—she had a handsome dowry and moreover, the mysterious single magic power she was said to have.

Gholsmart, the banker dragon, wore a traditional red banker coat and was truly a looker in his trimmed attire. He was a middle-aged dragon of two-hundred fifty years and sincerely uninterested in the girl. All he wanted was a business route through the middle of Umohaw by which he could tax users. So he feigned interest, laughed at her jokes and nodded every time she said something.

One of the more interested suitors was Derek Stylez, a young human who wore a stylish black and purple cloak about his fair skin. His face was pleasantly freckled, and his right eye was bedecked by a perfectly circular monocle. Though Derek was no king or prince, he was a male witch of the necromancer creed with much wealth and magical prowess.

The duchess crossed her fingers behind her back, watching her daughter from her throne, hoping for either Gholsmart or Derek to win her daughter’s hand. Luckily, Belmardina could not keep her eyes off Derek’s handsome face. The duchess smiled to herself and, in her mind, clapped herself on the back. No doubt he was interested in Belmardina’s secret power.

In fact, that was what the two were talking about at that moment. Belmardina batted her eyelashes over her brown eyes and giggled. “Oh, no. Mr. Derek, I couldn’t possibly reveal my power to you. It would make the suitors crazy for me.” she sighed demurely—purely an act, and most of the suitors knew it. She was not subtle or a good actress. Still, she was beautiful and the promise of a mysterious power lured them in. “And anyway,” she said longingly, “I want a husband who loves me for me first, my power second.”

Derek’s face contorted very briefly into a frown, but then perked up into a toothy smile. “Then I’ll have to win your heart.”

Belmardina blushed furiously. Though she put on pretenses, she really was smitten by the young necromancer. “That you will.”

Suddenly, a sharp laugh came from behind her. She whirled about to see Blutgang, king of the kraat standing close behind. Being a kraat, he was about seven feet tall, and she had to crane her neck to see his face.

He sported a yellow-orange beak that stood out against his white feathers. He had arrived in his full kraat armor, which included heavy shoulder pauldrons over which a turquoise cape was draped. His breastplate sported the sigil of the warrior kraat. In his orange, clawed hand he held a wine glass.

“What’s funny, Sir Blutgang?” She only guessed he’d rather be called ‘sir’ rather than ‘majesty’, since the kraat were soldier-like nomads.

“Nothing at all.” he shook a little under his armor in his mirth. “I’m just entertained by the game you’re playing. How sweet and utterly juvenile.”

Belmardina’s eyes briefly flashed daggers, but she remembered herself and smiled a gentle smile. “Oh, sir Blutgang, you’re too much!” She turned away from the kraat and returned her attention to Derek Stylez and Gholsmart, who hung on her every word. Mentally, she crossed Blutgang off her list of potentials.