Chapter 16 Hidden Snares : 59 +10 Free Coins After Yolanda heard the whole tale , her complexion drained to ash . " I must have blurted it while panicking in front of my maid . I'll tell Lord Soren everything and set it right ." Fiona caught her wrist and sighed . " Do you intend to hand him yet another weapon - proof the Wagner family cannot keep its own counsel ? " she asked , reminding her that the Wagner family and the Zonfrillo family were anything but allied . Realization jolted through Yolanda ; she blanched . " I ... What a fool I am , " she whispered , horror threading her voice . Fiona then held Yolanda's hand and uttered , " Yolanda , I'm telling you this not to demand a fix but to beg you - next time , guard your words a little better ." She knew Yolanda would someday marry Ulrich , and that the Niven family , with its concubines and petty intrigues , could chew up the soft - hearted . The family needed a formidable matriarch , and Fiona refused to watch her friend repeat the tragedies of her previous life . " But what about you ? What will you do now ? " Yolanda asked , anxiety clouding her gaze . " For the moment , Lord Soren has no reason to press me . I'll simply move one square at a time and see where the board leads . " When Soren marched to war next spring , she would earn leverage through Callum's affairs ; until then , she must endure the bit in her mouth . Fiona skipped the final drive of the autumn hunt . Instead , she met Xavier at dawn in a clearing , trading silken slippers for worn leather as she loosed arrow after arrow . Memory from her previous life quickened her progress . The target soon bored her ; rabbits fell next , then startled birds that never touched the sky again . Only she knew the cost . Each night , she spent an hour kneading her swollen wrists before the ache loosened enough to let her sleep . During a brief pause for water , she glanced at Xavier . " Mr. Xavier , why aren't you out there with the others ? Emperor Aldric is watching - this is a perfect moment for a marksman to shine ," He strung another arrow with unhurried grace . " Didn't you also stay behind , Ms. Fiona ? " he replied , voice calm as a dawn - lit lake . 1/3 14:38 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 16 Hidden Snares : A 59 +10 Free Coins She wanted to go , but she wanted to avoid Soren . " Your aim ranks among the finest . Show them , and you'll eclipse everyone . " Xavier paused , the bow lowering as though suddenly heavy . " These past days of riding practice , you avoided me . Do you truly dislike sharing a space with me , Ms. Fiona ? " His voice was low , edged with something strangely fragile . Heat flooded beneath her ears ; the gentle reproach sounded uncannily like a husband neglected for far too long . " I never said I was unwilling to spend time with you , " Fiona said , her voice softer than dusk settling over the field . She could not bring herself to bruise the hopes shining behind his eyes . She had , in truth , kept their meetings few those last days - not from aversion , but because gossip would sprout like weeds when two young people were seen together too often . When Fiona finally lifted her gaze again , she caught a flicker of laughter playing at the corner of Xavier's dark eyes . He wore a luminous smile , and all the more arresting because he so seldom let it surface . For a heartbeat , she stared , utterly spellbound , and understood why legends spoke of fortunes squandered to coax a single smile from a beautiful face . However , Fiona knew she had to keep a clear head . Focus , Fiona . Choosing a husband is business ; swooning over a handsome man is weakness . Resist the lure of sheer appearance before it clouds your judgment . Xavier lowered his tone , as though sharing a secret meant only for her . " A remarkable leap , Ms. Fiona . At the archery trial next month , your score will impress even the harshest judge . " Fiona tucked a stray lock behind her ear . " Your style reminds me of Lord Soren's - swift , economical , almost austere ." Xavier nodded once . " We trained under the same master , Mr. Sunfield , who shaped our technique as though from a single mold . " Fiona had heard of Gavin Sunfield , and she offered a respectful smile . " I have long admired Mr. Sunfield's name . If fortune allows , I would love to pay my respects in person . " Xavier held her gaze . " When the opportunity arises , I will escort you myself . " The promise felt dangerously intimate , a thin silver thread tugging at the space between them . Fiona , aware of its shimmer , chose caution over impulse and let the moment pass unacknowledged . 2/3 14:38 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 16 Hidden Snares : " 9 69 +10 Free Coins She enjoyed his company , yes , but her future husband had not yet been named , even in her own heart . On the surface , Xavier's conduct pleased her - courteous , disciplined , restrained - but experience whispered that truly knowing a man required more than a handful of cordial meetings . Nor did she forget that admiration for her family's influence might tempt him toward hidden ambitions she would have to guard against . Fiona flexed her aching arm and cleared her throat . " It grows late . I should return . " Xavier answered with quiet efficiency . " Very well ." He turned at once and gathered her arrows into the leather quiver , movements precise and unhurried . The simple , unassuming help earned him another silent mark in her ledger of virtues . Despite the courteous farewell , they did not walk back together ; each followed a different path through the tall grass toward camp , their unspoken thoughts trailing behind like banners in the wind . Fiona had scarcely stepped past the first row of tents when the victorious hunting party thundered into camp , horses snorting , pennants snapping , the afternoon light catching on blood - bright antlers and rising dust . Finding herself directly before Emperor Aldric's stallion , she sank to her knees on the trampled grass . " Your Majesty , may you enjoy perfect health , " she said , clear and steady . Emperor Aldric reined in , studying the unfamiliar young lady whose beauty bloomed like peach blossoms after rain , startling in its freshness . He was not the only one intrigued ; Zephyr , lingering a few paces back , fixed his attention on her with equal curiosity . Still kneeling , Fiona announced , " I am Fiona Niven , daughter of Zachary of the Niven family . " Emperor Aldric's laugh rolled out warm and booming . " So you are Zachary's child ! Your grandmother , Princess Helen , is my aunt . That makes me , young lady , your Uncle Aldric ." Fiona bowed her head lower . " Uncle Aldric . " To address Emperor Aldric that way was , if Fiona were honest , already stretching decorum . Her maternal grandmother , Helen , had been the late emperor's half - sister . By blood , she shared nothing with Emperor Aldric , and during the brutal fight for the throne , she had not even stood in his camp . 3/3 14:38 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 17 Family Tensions Surface