DISCLAIMER: The author's imagination and passion are the only sources of inspiration for this novel, which is a work of dedication. Parallels between these pages and the past or present may be apparent to some readers, but they are completely coincidental. You are free to interpret this art anyway you see fit, and it is meant for your enjoyment.

Reinn's twentieth birthday was the full-scale invasion, if the preceding weeks had been a "siege" of her heart.

When Reinn had woken up, she had planned to spend the day in her library with a big pot of tea and no dukes at all. But the world, along with her two persistent suitors, had other ideas. The Hylde mansion had become a brilliant arena of gift-giving competition by lunchtime.

The initial "assault" occurred during breakfast.

Giywon had made use of a small army of decorators and the Imperial Treasury. Reinn had previously stated that she missed the ocean. When she opened her eyes, the entire floor of her bedroom was covered in three inches of imported white sand and tropical shells.

Giywon murmured, "Happy birthday, my sun," as he entered her doorway carrying a tray of pastries covered in gold leaf. "Since you couldn't go to the sea, I brought the sea to you. Also, I bought you a boat. It's currently parked in your father's pond. It's a bit tight, but it's yours."

Reinn exclaimed, "Giywon, there is sand in my slippers," but she couldn't help but giggle at how ridiculous that was.

"A small price for a private beach," he said with a wink.

However, Dyierrean was waiting for her as she entered the hallway. He had neither boats nor sand. Rather, he gave her a large box lined with velvet and a little wooden whistle.

"The Prince gives you sand that will be a nightmare to clean," Dyierrean stated bluntly. "I give you this."

A pair of twin daggers forged of Star-Iron, a metal that sparkled with a faint, pulsing violet light, was visible when he opened the box. "And the whistle? If you blow it, my swiftest horse and ten of my best men will be at your side within minutes, regardless of where you are in the empire. My gift is your absolute freedom, Reinn. No one will ever trap you again."

Reinn glanced at the "army" she was holding and the "ocean" in her chamber. "I'm twenty, not becoming a warlord!"

The nighttime celebration was a thrilling masterpiece. The first error made by Duke Eyrion was allowing the two men to co-host.

The ballroom was divided in half. One side had a chorus of one hundred voices and a chocolate fountain that reached the ceiling, all decked in Edryyion Gold. The other half was Mydril Black and Silver, which included a peaceful, moonlit garden terrace brimming with rare, brilliant night-blooms and an exhibition of live, beautiful wolves safely chained and nurtured.

To keep the peace, Reinn showed up wearing a garment that blended the two: a deep midnight blue with gold embroidery.

Giywon caught her at the stairs, said, "You look breathtaking," and kissed her hand. "I've arranged for a fireworks display that will spell your name across the stars."

Dyierrean appeared on her other side and added, "And I have arranged for the music to stop at ten, because I know you value your sleep more than explosions."

The guests silently marveled. The two most powerful men in the world hanging over the same woman while acting like infatuated teens was the ultimate spectacle.

Giywon and Dyierrean guided Reinn to the middle of the room as the clock struck ten. The audience stopped talking.

Giywon replied, "We have one final gift," in an unusually quiet voice.

"Something we actually agreed on," Dyierrean continued, giving Giywon a reluctantly respectful nod.

They gave her a little, plain scroll. It was neither a weapon nor a deed to a kingdom. It was a charter for the "Reinn Hylde Foundation for Independent Women." It was a grant, equally sponsored by the Crown and the Mydril House, that let women of the empire to pursue business ownership and education without the signature of a male guardian.

Reinn's eyes began to well up with tears. They had heard her spirit as well as her words. They had given her a means to share her gift of independence with the world, knowing that she cherished it above all else.

"You both..." Reinn started, her voice trembling.

"We know," Giywon said, stepping closer. "We know you haven't chosen. And we know you might never choose."

"But as long as we are in your life," Dyierrean whispered, his hand resting lightly on the small of her back, "you will never have to fight for your place in the sun again."

Reinn looked at them—her Dragon and her Wolf. The "Quiet Life" she had sought was gone, replaced by a life of noise, passion, and a love so fierce it had changed the laws of the land.

She blew out the candles on her massive cake, making a wish. But as she looked at the two men smiling at her, she realized she didn't need to wish for anything at all. She was already home.