"You have no idea."
"I think I have a little. I met her at his Blood Ball, the very night she attempted to assassinate him."
"Yes." Nikolai stiffened at the reminder of his lapse in judgment that night, allowing her to get so close with a blade tipped in gold. "I was there as well." If she'd hit her mark, his heart, she would've succeeded in killing the prince. Fortunately, fate intervened.
"She reminds me of someone else I know."
"Oh?" Nikolai was curious. "Who's that?"
"The damn schoolteacher in Terrington." His brows pinched together.
"Damn schoolteacher? Seems she's gotten under your skin, Your Grace."
His mouth ticked up on one side. "Perhaps. I caught her snooping around my castle, seeking information about me and the Black Lily from her friend Sylvia, who is one of my servants."
Somewhat alarmed, Nikolai asked, "Who is she working for? Your uncle?"
"Of that, I don't know. But I plan to find out."
Nikolai settled back again, relieved that the duke was apparently as adept at deception as any spy in the ranks of the Royal Legionnaires. He was a good ally to have in the Black Lily.
"Interesting." Friedrich rubbed his chin, staring at the map.
"What's that?"
"What if the reason the bodies have escalated is nothing more than timing?"
"How so?"
Friedrich rested a hand loosely on one hip. "You say the queen had gotten sloppy, and that's why she finally got caught. What if it isn't that at all? What if she's just gotten more comfortable?"
Nikolai leaned forward, hands clasped together. "What do you mean?"
"The timing all coincided with Marius's one hundredth birthday, the day he was to marry his princess and seal the final alliance of the Varis line."
"Yes. But he didn't marry her as you recall. And what of it? What would his marrying Princess Vilhelmina have to do with the queen and the blood madness?"
"It's not the marriage, exactly, but what a pure lineage marriage would produce." He sat in his chair and met Nikolai's gaze across the desk with excitement shining bright in his dark blue eyes. "An heir. A strong Varis heir would give her the confidence to let her guard down. If she knew her legacy was sealed with a strong heir to continue the line for future generations, an heir she might even be able to manipulate if raised under her wing, then she could try again to bring back the old darkness, ruling with an iron fist. Disregarding the well-being of her subjects."
"I think I know why," came Sienna's soft voice at the open door.
They both turned. Sienna stood, fully dressed, her hair pulled back. She would've looked refreshed if it weren't for the sickening pallor whitening her cheeks and lips.
"Sienna." Nikolai went to her and guided her into the room. "Come and sit." He brought her to one of the chairs before the desk, then took a seat beside her. Friedrich sat as well, leaning to the side, his arm casually draped, though there was nothing casual about his grave expression.
"Now, what is it?" Nikolai kept her hand in his, gently stroking her knuckles with his thumb. "What is it you know?"
She almost smiled, though sorrow was etched on her brow. "You may not believe me, but I think I've had a premonition."
Nikolai exchanged a troubled glance with Friedrich, then encouraged her. "Tell us. What do you mean?"
Swallowing hard and sitting up straighter, she said, "My grandmother used to tell me an old fairytale. A dark fairytale." She licked her lips as if her mouth had gone dry. "Very dark. She said that the tale came to her in dreams. And when she died, the tale came to mine. Well, it was a nightmare, really. I'd forgotten about it. Until last night … " Her gaze swiveled from Friedrich to Nikolai, who squeezed her hand gently. "I dreamed it again. But this time, I recognized the faces of those who had been faceless all the times before. And now I know, it's not just a story. It's the future."
"Tell us, my lady," said Friedrich.
She nodded, but instead of speaking, she stood and walked to the window beside Friedrich's desk, overlooking the vast snow-covered hills behind the castle. She appeared to be remembering or perhaps drawing up courage, then finally she cleared her throat softly.
"Once, there was a dark queen who ruled on high. Beautiful and immortal, she reigned with absolute power."
Sienna paused. Nikolai noted her tangling her fingers together in agitation. He wanted to comfort her but sensed she wanted to get through this on her own. They all knew who the dark queen was. She went on.
"The queen had everything. Healthy heirs. Loyal Legionnaires. Beauty. Wealth. And an endless supply of bleeders at her beck and call. For this queen was vampire-powerful beyond compare. And yet, her spirit was restless. She wanted more. She longed for a world where laws could not impede her wicked desires, for a dominion of darkness, black like her heart and soul.