# Chapter 3: The Invitation
Seraphina woke to the sound of someone pounding on her door.
"My lady! My lady, please wake up!"
She sat up in bed, still wearing yesterday's ivory dress. She had been too exhausted and heartbroken to change clothes. The fabric was wrinkled now, and her carefully arranged hair had fallen around her shoulders in messy waves.
"Come in, Marie," she called to her maid.
Marie burst through the door, her round face flushed with excitement. She was carrying a silver tray with breakfast and what looked like several letters.
"Oh, my lady, you're awake! I was so worried about you. You didn't eat dinner last night, and—" Marie stopped talking when she saw Seraphina's appearance. "Oh, dear. Let me help you out of that dress."
"In a moment." Seraphina rubbed her eyes. Sunlight was streaming through her windows, which meant it was already late morning. "What's all the excitement about?"
"Letters, my lady! So many letters!" Marie set the tray down on the small table by the window. "Some are... well, some are not very nice. But others are quite kind."
Seraphina's stomach dropped. Of course there would be letters. Yesterday's humiliation was probably the biggest scandal the court had seen in years.
"Show me the unkind ones first," she said. "I want to get them over with."
Marie handed her a stack of letters tied with black ribbon. Seraphina untied them and read the first one.
Lady Seraphina,
Perhaps now you understand that some people simply aren't meant for greatness. A wise woman would retire from court permanently and spare herself further embarrassment.
With pity,
Duchess Morwyn
The next one was worse.
To the Former Future Queen,
I always knew you were nothing special. Pretty enough, I suppose, but lacking in every quality a true queen needs. You should thank Prince Kael for saving you from a role you could never fill.
Countess Ravenna
And the next one was crueler still.
By the time she had read through half the stack, Seraphina's hands were shaking with anger. These women had smiled at her just yesterday. They had complimented her dress and wished her well.
Now they were like vultures picking at her bones.
"That's enough," she said, setting the letters aside. "Show me the kind ones."
Marie handed her a smaller stack tied with white ribbon. The first letter was from Lady Catherine, a young woman about her own age.
Dearest Seraphina,
What happened yesterday was cruel and unfair. You deserve so much better than Prince Kael, who clearly doesn't know a treasure when he sees one. Please know that you have friends who care about you.
With love,
Catherine
The next few letters were similar, expressions of sympathy and support from younger ladies at court who had always been kind to her.
But the last letter made her freeze.
The envelope was made of cream-colored paper, much finer than the others. Her name was written in elegant script across the front. When she turned it over, she saw a wax seal with the Blackwood family crest, black rose.
Just as Lucien had promised.
"Where did this one come from?" she asked Marie, trying to keep her voice casual.
"A messenger brought it early this morning, my lady. He said it was urgent."
Seraphina broke the seal and unfolded the letter.
My Dear Lady Seraphina,
I was deeply saddened to hear of yesterday's events. As a woman who has also experienced the cruelty that court life can bring, I feel compelled to offer you refuge.
Please consider coming to stay at Blackwood Manor for a few weeks. The countryside air would do you good, and you would be welcome to stay as long as you need. Sometimes a woman needs time away from prying eyes to heal and decide her next steps.
I have already spoken to your parents, who agree that some time away from court would be beneficial.
If you accept, a carriage will come for you tomorrow morning.
With warmest regards,
Lady Evangeline Blackwood
Seraphina read the letter twice. Lady Blackwood was Lucien's aunt, his father's sister. She was a widow who lived alone at the family's country estate. Seraphina had met her a few times at court functions, and she had always seemed kind but distant.
"Good news, my lady?" Marie asked hopefully.
"I've been invited to stay at Blackwood Manor for a while," Seraphina said carefully. "Away from all this drama."
"Oh, that sounds wonderful! Lady Blackwood is known for her kindness to young women. And the manor is supposed to be beautiful, surrounded by gardens and forests." Marie clapped her hands together. "When would you leave?"
"Tomorrow morning, if I accept."
"You should accept, my lady. There's nothing for you here right now except more cruel letters and gossip." Marie's face was earnest. "A change of scenery would help you heal."
Seraphina nodded slowly. Marie was right, of course. But more than that, this was her chance to begin working with Lucien to find out who had orchestrated her downfall.
"Help me write a reply," she said. "I'll accept the invitation."
While Marie prepared paper and ink, Seraphina moved to her window and looked out at the palace gardens below. Somewhere in this castle was the person who had wanted her destroyed. Someone who knew about mysterious grain shipments and saw her as a threat.
She thought about the anonymous letter Lucien had shown her. "The Elowen girl must be removed before the engagement becomes official. She's too close to discovering the truth."
But what truth? She genuinely didn't know anything about grain shipments or anything else that could threaten someone powerful enough to manipulate the crown prince.
Unless...
A memory surfaced suddenly. Three weeks ago, she had been walking through the castle late at night, unable to sleep. She had taken a wrong turn and found herself in a corridor she didn't recognize. She had heard voices coming from behind a closed door, angry voices arguing about something.
She had only caught a few words before hurrying away, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping. But now she tried to remember what she had heard.
"...shipments are late again..."
"...if anyone finds out..."
"...the northern provinces will starve..."
"...cover it up before..."
At the time, she had assumed it was just boring political business. But what if it wasn't? What if she had overheard something important without realizing it?
And what if someone had seen her listening?
"My lady?" Marie's voice broke into her thoughts. "I have the paper ready."
Seraphina turned away from the window and sat down at her writing desk. She dipped the quill in ink and began to write.
Dear Lady Blackwood,
Thank you for your kind invitation. I gratefully accept and look forward to the peace and quiet of the countryside. I will be ready when the carriage arrives tomorrow morning.
With sincere gratitude,
Lady Seraphina Elowen
She sealed the letter with her family's crest and handed it to Marie to send.
"Now help me pack," she said. "I want to be ready to leave this place behind."
As Marie bustled around the room gathering clothes and belongings, Seraphina sat on her bed and tried to plan her next moves.
She would go to Blackwood Manor and meet with Lucien. Together, they would figure out what she might have overheard that night. They would discover who was behind the grain shipment scandal and why they had wanted her silenced.
And then, somehow, she would make them pay for what they had done to her.
But as she watched Marie pack her jewelry into a small wooden box, another thought crept into her mind.
What if working closely with Prince Lucien was dangerous in a completely different way?
Yesterday, when he had taken her hand and led her to his private study, she had felt something she had never felt with Kael. Something warm and exciting and terrifying all at once.
Kael had been safe and pedictable. Their engagement had been arranged by their families, and while she had grown fond of him, she had never felt her heart race when he looked at her.
But Lucien...
Lucien made her feel like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down into an abyss she might never climb out of.
"Are you nervous about tomorrow, my lady?" Marie asked, noticing her expression.
"A little," Seraphina admitted.
"Don't be. Lady Blackwood will take good care of you. And who knows? Maybe some time in the country is exactly what you need."
Seraphina nodded and smiled at her loyal maid. Marie had no idea that her mistress wasn't going to the country to heal from heartbreak.
She was going to plan a war.