Chapter 11 A Promise Chapter 11 A Promise : A 60 +10 Free Coins She could still hear Vincent's voice , jaunty and full of sunshine , on the morning he had seen her off to marry Soren . " If Soren so much as makes you frown , I'll march south and knock some sense into him . And if you ever tire of living at the Zonfrillo Estate , just send word and I'll bring you home . " The memory stung . A sour burn gathered in Fiona's chest . Not wanting anyone to notice the shadow clouding her mood , she slipped from the tent and made her way to the silent lake , settling on a flat stone where the world felt cool and far away . The autumn wind had sharpened , brushing cold fingers across her cheeks . Each gust cleared her mind a little more , until memories returned with merciless clarity . The last letter Vincent had sent - hurried , ink blotched - contained only a single line , urging her to look after herself and Meryl . He must already have known how precarious his position was . Vincent's death could not have been an accident . His passing profited too many - the main branch of the family , the Wagner family , even the Thankerton family . The main branch is kin , and inheriting the honors Vincent fought for is only natural ... The real fear , however , is that his death itself might not be separate from the main branch . Fiona lowered her lashes . That was the one truth she could not bear to face . Yet if it were real , even the combined weight of the Niven family would be nothing compared with the worth of Vincent . From the shelter of a boulder a short distance away , Callum had been watching her for several minutes . He had arrived before Fiona and intended to slip away unseen . But she had chosen the very spot beside his hiding place . For half an hour , he waited , hoping she would leave first . She did not , and now duty required him elsewhere . " Ms. Fiona ," Callum called out , stepping into view . " There are fewer guards posted on this side of the lake . You should head back before it gets late ." Callum had been raised to walk the straightest path . Whatever shadows clung to the Niven family , the safety of a lone woman could not be ignored . Duty wrestled with caution , yet duty won , and the words of warning rose unbidden to his lips . Fiona studied the man before her . Compared with Soren of the Zonfrillo family , Callum looked rough - hewn - broader in the shoulders , his frame carrying the unmistakable power of someone who sparred with steel each dawn . 1/4 14:37 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 11 A Promise 59 +10 Free Coins In Fiona's previous life , she had exchanged only a handful of words with Callum . He was no flatterer ; kindness , not eloquence , defined him , and his readiness to help burned brighter than any compliment . " Mr. Callum . " Gathering herself , Fiona glanced over his shoulder , searching for any sign of Soren . Finding none , she allowed a discreet breath of relief , rose from the grass , and offered a graceful dip of the head . Without meeting her eyes , Callum said , " The lake is pretty , yes , but it is still the wild outskirts . You should take someone trustworthy with you . " His voice was low , almost gruff , as though discipline itself were speaking . " Thank you for the warning , Mr. Callum . I'll head back at once , " Fiona replied , gratitude flickering across her face . That fleeting smile - a small sunrise meant only for him - landed on Callum's chest like a warm stone . He caught himself enjoying the sensation and , confused by it , pressed his brows together . No , this is wrong . A proper man should never let a woman's charm sway his footing . After she left , a whisper of gardenia lingered , weaving through the air like an invisible ribbon . Callum could stare down enemy blades without blinking , yet now a rosy heat crept up his neck , betraying him in a way steel never had . After he returned , his mind drifted , over and over , to that drifting perfume , as though the scent itself had pitched a tent inside his thoughts . Naomi tried three separate times to draw him into conversation and received nothing but vacant nods . Irritated , she turned to Soren and muttered , " Soren , look how Callum sits- haunted , or worse , bewitched by some lady's spell ." Her teasing left Callum burning with embarrassment , as though every ember from the bonfire had leaped onto his cheeks . He had never been the target of romantic jest ; suddenly , he felt like an unarmored recruit on the first day of drills , unsure where to place his hands . " I am hardly the sort who forgets duty for a pretty face . You may rest easy ," Callum declared , spine straight as a sword planted in earth . Seeing his solemn insistence , Naomi waved the matter away , letting the mischief die on her lips . Soren , informed of Callum's lakeside encounter , merely shrugged . Whatever plans Fiona might harbor seemed far too simple to threaten them . 2/4 Chapter 11 A Promise +10 Free Coins To honor the night's bonfire feast , every young lady had traded courtly splendor for clever novelty - garments lighter , colors softer , designs meant to glow in firelight rather than dazzle in daylight . Fiona , by contrast , stepped out in a pale , close - fitting dress . Her hairpins were so plain they were nearly invisible - a portrait of deliberate modesty . Yolanda's eyes swept her from head to heel . " All the finest bachelors in Jexburgh are here tonight , and you show up looking like a whispered secret ? " Yes , Fiona's beauty was unquestionable , but wrapped in such understatement she could vanish into any crowd , a mist among brighter lanterns . That , of course , was Fiona's intention . She wanted to remain unremarkable and glide beneath the net of searching eyes . In her previous life , unwanted suitors had bloomed like weeds - worst of all , the Sixth Prince of Crown City . Had her engagement to Soren not arrived in time , she might have been pushed into his household as a mere concubine . Back then , Zachary had been stripped of rank ; the Niven family could ill afford to offend the Sixth Prince . Of all the princes scattered across the provinces, only the Sixth Prince still kept quarters ir Jexburgh . The autumn hunt would inevitably draw him , and Fiona had no wish to wander anywhere near his watchful gaze . " Yolanda , truly , I am here to master mounted archery , not to audition suitors ," Fiona said , dimples deepening as the late sun painted her cheeks . " That is for the best - bright flowers attract wasps as quickly as bees ," Yolanda replied , smoothing an invisible crease in her sleeve . " I must arrange the dance troupe now . When I finish , I will come find you ." The women of the Wagner family were famed throughout Jexburgh for turning music and movement into poetry . Their patriarch , William Wagner , held a post in the Ministry of Rites , overseeing every ceremony that lent splendor to the court . Whenever foreign envoys arrived, the choreography was theirs to craft . That night , that duty rested on Yolanda's shoulders . Fiona nodded , the gesture small yet certain , a strand of hair brushing her collar as she turned away . At the hour when the sky turned wine - dark and lanterns bloomed to life , the banquet commenced . 3/4 14:37 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 11 A Promise : 59 +10 Free Coins One by one , Jexburgh's young noblewomen glided into the pavilion like a sudden burst of spring . Roxanne was elegant and poised without being showy . Naomi , quick - witted and lively , followed . Joyce Fuller appeared last , proud and striking .