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.
Even the fastest imperial messenger could not keep up with the rumors of the capital. By the time Reinn's "boring" shopping trip came to an end, the rumor mill had produced a dozen distinct versions of what had happened. Some believed the Hylde daughter had secretly entered a silent convent, while others thought she had gone insane. However, the most perilous version—that Reinn Hylde had fully matured—came to the ears of the royal family.
The Edryyion family had dinner in the center of the Imperial Palace. With its gold-leafed pillars, a table big enough to accommodate a small army, and the strong, lingering aroma of frankincense, the space was a master class in intimidation.
With his piercing, hooded eyes, Emperor Giyorre Edryyion sat at the head. Empress Sylvvia moved like a swan beside him, but her intellect was as keen as a falcon's.
"Giywon," the Emperor uttered, his voice piercing the silver clatter. "I heard a peculiar report from the marketplace today. It seems your most... persistent shadow has disappeared."
With his wine glass halfway to his lips, Crown Prince Giywon hesitated. He was the epitome of imperial perfection, but his curiosity was revealed by a tiny twitch of his jaw. "If you mean Lady Reinn, Father, the rumors say she was present. She simply didn't make her usual... announcement."
"She ignored the Mydril heir," Crown Princess Syiena said, tilting her head mockingly. "In public. She didn't scream, she didn't faint, and she didn't beg for a dance. She bought a grey cloak and a book on geography. Geography, Giywon! Can you imagine Reinn Hylde looking at a map for any reason other than finding the nearest jeweler?"
The Empress grinned, but not all the way to her eyes. "A woman who stops chasing men is usually a woman who has started chasing power. Duke Eyrion has always been a loyal lion, but a daughter who acts with such... calculation? That is a variable we hadn't accounted for."
Giywon placed his glass aside. The name "Quiet Lioness." Sounded strange to him. For years, he had avoided Reinn's awkward approaches because he saw her as a helpful, albeit irritating, social barrier. However, it was much more horrifying to consider her to be "rational" than "spoiled."
Giywon said, "Perhaps she is just ill," but he wasn't convinced.
"Or perhaps," the Emperor replied, leaning forward, "She has realized that the Mydril boy is a dead end. If she has truly set aside her whims, she becomes the most valuable piece on the board. The Hylde military strength combined with a focused mind... that is a lion we cannot allow to roam free."
While the royals plotted, the subject of their concern was currently struggling with the most difficult task of her new life: staying awake during a 12-course ducal dinner.
Samantha, who is now Reinn, sat between her mother and father. Every ten minutes, Ryianne Hylde continued to touch Reinn's forehead.
"You usually detest sitting next to your brother because he breathes too loudly, but you haven't once complained about the seating arrangement. Are you sure you don't have a fever, darling?"
Reinn tried not to yawn. "I've decided to be more tolerant, Mother," she remarked. "Breathing is, after all, a necessary biological function."
On his drink, Eyldion choked. "She's doing it again! Using words with more than three syllables! Father, I'm telling you, she's plotting something."
"I'm plotting a nap, Eyldion," Reinn shot out, revealing her contemporary directness. "A very long, very quiet nap in a room where no one says the word 'Duke' or 'Emperor' for at least forty-eight hours."
A butler arrived with a scroll sealed in the dark violet wax of the Mydril House before the argument could go on.
"A message for Lady Reinn," the butler said. "From the Mydril estate."
The table fell silent. Eyrion reached for his fork as though it were a dagger. Ryianne gave a gasp. It appeared as though Eyldion was prepared to storm the Wolf's den.
With a little, unwelcome throb of her heart, Reinn accepted the scroll. After cracking the seal, she read the graceful, formal handwriting:
Lady Reinn,
Your actions today were... unexpected. Giyenna, my mother, has shown curiosity in your abrupt personality transformation. She is inviting you to the Mydril house for a private tea tomorrow. Don't be late. I discovered that I have my own questions.
— Dyierrean Mydril
Reinn gazed at the document. In the initial novel, Reinn tried for three years to receive an invitation to the Mydril manor, but she was consistently turned down. After ignoring him for an afternoon, the door was now being held open.
"What does it say?" Eyrion asked, his lion-like eyes guarded. "If he insulted you, I'll have his head!"
"It's an invitation to tea," Reinn uttered in a weak voice. "From Dyierrean."
"He's finally noticed her!" Ryianne exclaimed, clapping her fists. "Oh, Reinn, your plan worked! Acting indifferent was a stroke of genius!"
"It wasn't a plan," Reinn whispered to herself. It was a plan for retirement.
She took another look at the letter. The Wolf was intrigued. The Dragons had doubts. What about the Lioness? She was starting to understand that the more you try to blend into the background, the more the spotlight shines on you.
"I guess I'm going to tea," Reinn sighed and leaned back. "But if there are no good biscuits, I am officially retiring from this plot."