“Then perhaps I should address you properly, Miss Winslet.” 

“I….If you’re going to address me then it’ll be as Princess Vivian Darnel.”

Heat ran through her; the Wells circled her like fresh meat, and they’d been starved for days.  

Feverent chuckled. “I must say, you’re brave and rather incompetent. It took almost nothing to pick up on your deception. It’d be quite the story for Wulfric.”

“There's nothing to tell him.”

“No? Nothing about your servants' night trips to buy hair dye? The secret letters, even disgusted from said servant, to a nobleman named Collins?” 

“Don’t forget the lack of etiquette that’s born into someone of your false position,” Fabienne cut in. “It’s all suspicious, and at least concern for whether you're illegitimate.” 

I focused my vision on the wall ahead, ignoring the pounds of my heart. 

“Nothing to say? Then, maybe you can tell us why, right before Princess Vivian left for her trip, so did a lowly castle servant by the name of Winona Winslet?” 

“Both left and yet, I hear there’s sounds coming from Her Highness room. Food and cheap tea were brought there. Strange, isn’t it, father?”

They stopped pacing, and stood right in front of me. Staring me down with sharp smiles.

“It’s an outlandish theory.” 

Wells nodded to his daughter and Fabienne held out a folded document. 

“Theroies become fact when backed with enough evidence.” 

I slowly took it, catching a look of satisfaction in his eyes. As I opened it and read the dried it, it listed everything. A summary of Winslet’s life, and my strange behavior as I disappeared for ‘Princess Lessons.’ Along with a record of suspicious activity on both mine and Vivian’s part while we lived in separate lands. 

….He had me. 

“If that’s not enough to convince you then perhaps I must resort to more uncivilized threats.” 

He leaned in and snatched the papers from my hands. Looking me dead in the eyes as he said, “What do you think will happen — to your servants — when I give the king this? By some miracle you might escape punishment, but do you think the court would be so lenient with them?”

I clenched my fist. 

“What do you want from me?”

“Two very simple things. Dismiss that new servant of yours, have her work for the knights – cleaning their barracks,” He brushed his coat off, “Then, in two days’ time, have lunch with a nobleman by the name of Reginald Bucarkt.”

“Why? What’ll this accomplish for you?”

“You have your secrets, and I have mine. Now, best return to your dinner. I’d hate for you to miss dessert.” 

 He smiled, and waved me off. “Oh, and if you try to tell anyone, like that Collins of yours, the king even…. Well, you can imagine what I’ll do.” 

The door gave a sharp click as it shut behind me. I didn’t return to dinner, or my room — I wandered through the castle’s shadows. Under the moonlight and through the empty halls.