CHAPTER 107 You Are Annoyingly Sharp for a Princess

Henrietta

A Few Minutes Earlier

"Thank you for accepting my request, Princess."

The marquess held my hand in his sweaty palm. There was a ring on his index finger that showed the insignia of his household: a magpie in flight.

"Just tell me how I can break the engagement papers and I'll be on my way," I said, allowing him to pull me onto the dance floor. I took my place across from him, along with the twenty-odd other couples who were lined up there.

"Soon, my pet." Chadwick let go of my hand just long enough to dip into an overly dramatic reverence. A new song started, with a simple lute and drum playing a sedate pavane. The steps were simple; perfect for holding polite conversations with your partner.

I had no intention of being polite. I smiled at him and curtsied half a beat late.

"If you call me pet a second time, I am going to walk back to the Dark Lord and let him handle this affair." I chastised myself for the threat. I needed to keep things pleasant until I learned more about the magical contract. If this didn't work out, I'm sure Keith would figure out something. Hopefully without bloodshed.

The marquess laughed. "Feisty. No need to worry, my dear. I'm harmless."

"I'm not."

Chadwick raised an eyebrow. We were then at the front of the line of the dancers and separated to do a figure eight with the two couples beside us.

I spied Keith on my way around. It was hard to make him out through the crowd, but it helped that he hadn't moved from the spot where I'd left him. He was struggling through a conversation with my parents.

Honestly, I felt worse for leaving Keith with them than I did for walking into this obvious trap. The marquess was underestimating me.

"We're dancing," I pointed out once we came together again. "As bargained. Now, speak; what do you want for dissolving the contract?"

"All in good time, Princess. You haven't heard my suit yet," he reminded me. "A deal is a deal."

We executed a slow turn, stepping apart before coming together again. I gritted through my teeth, attempting to be civil, "Go on, then."

He leaned in conspiratorially, but I kept myself at arm's length.

"When you marry me," he began, "I shall bring you back to my estate, and you will live the life you deserve. I know how you've been raised and I can offer you pleasure untold. You'll never have to lift a finger. Please me, and I promise you an heir, jewels, and slav—servants—to wait upon you hand and foot … "

Every word he said churned my stomach and left me with a feeling of deeper disgust for this man, and he wasn't even done.

"However, if I find you do not satisfy me, then I will have no need to keep you. I'm sure one of my men would love a royal wife."

Chadwick looked like he was enjoying himself immensely. Maybe I needed to slip and accidentally break his fingers … No, I needed information first.

The music took a turn, but the marquess spun us out to the edge of the dance floor. We were steps from one of the exits, but still standing in the light of the hall.

"You are disgusting," I said bluntly. "I will never marry you, so what happens when I say no?"

"It is exactly as I offered; I give you the terms, and a way out."

"You didn't answer my question." I repeated. "What happens when I say no? I'd like to know the term before agreeing to them, please."

The marquess tsked. "You are annoyingly sharp for a princess. The terms are simple. Should the magical contract signed by the king and queen of Drendil on behalf of their daughter, the eligible Princess Henrietta, not be fulfilled, the following terms will come into force. The kingdom of Drendil shall owe me five thousand gold coins, and the Princess Henrietta will forfeit ten thousand experience points. Additionally, Drendil shall grant me five hundred cattle, three hundred acres of land, and the title of a count of Drendil."

He squeezed my hand. "What say you, Princess Henrietta Doryn? Will you honor the contract and agree to be my wife?"

[Marquess Chadwick Dorset wishes to confirm the Terms of the Marriage Agreement between the Kingdom of Drendil and the Marquess Dorset. Do you accept Marriage to the Marquess Dorset?

If you select Yes, you will gain the temporary Title: Fiancée.

Yes/No.]

I didn't trust the man as far as I could throw him. I expanded the terms and activated [Quick Read] to review the document. It was a standard political marriage agreement that had been signed by her parents in promissory. She was still required to acknowledge the agreement before any title would come into effect, and had one year from the time of the contract creation to fulfill the terms. Otherwise, the contact would be terminated without reparation.

The contract had an exit clause … but I didn't want to wait around with this over my head for a year.

Everything he had said was true, including the part where if one contracted party were to kill another, they would be subject to the [Bond Breaker] title for one years' time. But there was an extra clause he had not mentioned. If a party member rejected the agreement early, they would also suffer the [Bond Breaker] title for the remaining duration of the contract.

If I didn't know better, I would have been tempted to just say [No] and suffer the rebuff. It just reduced a person's highest stat to ten.

But I did know better. This entire thing was a trap, and I was embarrassed for anyone who even thought it was going to work.

I looked down at the marquess, who's satisfied smirk started to waver when I just smiled at him.

"Well?" He demanded, squeezing my hands harder than was polite. Not that it bothered me much.

"I would like to thank you for the dance, marquess." I told him. "But I don't think you will be hearing what you want to hear from me today."

There was always another choice. And I chose to not select [Yes] or [No]. I could present my case before the council on the morrow and try to convince them that the contract should be null and void.

Now, if only my parents or the marquess did something stupid to help my case.

"I am sorry that it had to be this way." The marquess paused our dance right beside the stage. I barely felt the blade cut into my finger where the marquess's ring stabbed me. My [Resist Poison] perk was high, and I felt it working, but whatever hit me was strong enough to knock out a wyvern.

[You have been Paralyzed. Time until effect wears off 00:02:00]

I had several Paralysis antidotes in my storage ring. Unfortunately, it was hard to give myself a Paralysis antidote when I was already paralyzed … still, two minutes wasn't so long.

The marquess tsked. "That should have lasted an hour. Ridiculous. I'll need to speed up the timetable." He made a motion with his hands above his head.

It must have been a signal, because an instant later a scream resounded around the hall.

The marquess wrapped an arm around my waist, lifting my stiff body and walking to the side of the stage. His words faked concern. "There, there, darling, let's get you to a fainting couch."

I decided it was time to poke my sleeping sword, who stirred. I debated just summoning her outright then and there … it was hard to hold a sword when you were paralyzed. I could wait and do it wherever we ended up when the paralysis wore off. In all my experiences being kidnapped as a princess, this one was the most ridiculous. If I wasn't worried about Keith getting trapped talking to my parents all night, I would have been excited to see how they were going to get me out of the palace.

I know how I would have done it.

We were through the musician's entrance in seconds, where two men were waiting. One, wearing the clothing of a North Sumbrian attendant, activated a Rogue perk. All of my jewelry and valuables flew into his hand. His fist closed around my rings, earrings, and button necklace—and then he vanished with nearly everything I owned.

All except the storage ring Keith had gifted me, which had resisted the man's attack.

[You have been Paralyzed. Time until effect wears off 00:01:17]

"Hurry up and throw her with the others!" The marquess shoved me off to a strong-looking young man in musician's clothing holding a set of manacles. With his hands free, Chadwick pulled out a scroll and cast, "Activate: [Lesser Portal Door]."

That was actually a good idea, and I commended his decisions. Though that particular spell wouldn't get us far enough to actually leave the palace itself, it could get us away from prying eyes. Well done marquess. Then I registered the other thing Chadwick had said. What others? My mind raced and something I should have noticed much sooner clicked into place. I raged.

[You have been Paralyzed. Time until effect wears off 00:00:46]

I stopped imagining what it would be like to punch the marquess in the face as a familiar set of manacles clicked over my wrists and carried me through the portal, leaving the marquess behind us.

I sent a silent apology to Keith. It was going to take a little more time to clean this up than I thought.