Aria/Seraphina Voss
Duke Voss doesn't say a word until we're back in his study with the doors locked and the servants dismissed. Then he pours himself a drink that's probably worth more than most people's houses and stares at me like I'm a puzzle he can't solve.
"Well," he finally says. "That was either brilliant or suicidal. I'm not sure which."
"Brilliant," I answer without hesitation. "Though I understand why it might look like career suicide to people thinking in medieval terms."
He raises an eyebrow. "Enlighten me."
I settle into the chair across from his desk like I'm pitching to investors. "The engagement was a trap, Father. Not for the prince—for us. Think about it strategically. What happens when a king dies and his heir takes the throne?"
"The new king consolidates power, eliminates threats, rewards loyalty."
"Exactly. And what's the easiest way to eliminate a powerful military family? Marry into it, gain their loyalty, then dispose of them when they're no longer useful." I lean forward. "The original engagement wasn't an honor—it was a leash."
Duke Voss goes very still. "You think Prince Damien would have—"
"I think Prince Damien is intelligent enough to recognize that the Voss family controls too much military power to leave unchecked. Better to neutralize us through marriage than risk a civil war." I take a sip of the wine he offers. "By breaking the engagement publicly, I've removed that option. Now if anything happens to us, it looks like revenge rather than political necessity."
He's quiet for a long moment, processing. I can see why Seraphina's memories painted him as disappointed in his daughter—the original girl had no head for strategy whatsoever.
"Assuming you're right about the prince's intentions," he says slowly, "what's your alternative plan?"
This is where it gets interesting. "We build our own power base. Independent of the crown, strong enough that they need us more than we need them." I pull out a piece of paper and start sketching. "Look at the kingdom's current economic structure. Agriculture in the south, mining in the north, trade routes through the eastern ports. But there's no coordination, no efficiency."
"The guilds manage their own territories."
"The guilds are thinking small. Local profits, regional control, no vision for expansion." I tap the paper. "What if someone offered them a better system? Standardized currency, coordinated shipping, shared storage facilities, bulk purchasing agreements."
Duke Voss leans forward, studying my rough economic map. "That would require massive initial investment. And cooperation from families who've been competitors for generations."
"It would require leadership. Someone with the capital to fund the infrastructure and the political influence to broker the agreements." I meet his eyes. "Someone like us."
The System screen pulses again: [NEW MISSION: ESTABLISH ECONOMIC ALLIANCE. REWARD: +200 REPUTATION, UNLOCK ADVANCED STRATEGIES. TIME LIMIT: 30 DAYS.]
I'm starting to hate that thing. Whatever game it thinks this is, I'm not playing by its rules.
"You're talking about restructuring the entire kingdom's economy," Duke Voss says.
"I'm talking about modernizing it. Making it efficient, profitable, and too valuable for anyone to destroy." I stand up, pacing like I do when I'm working through a complex deal. "Father, what's the one thing every ruler needs more than loyalty?"
"Money."
"Revenue. Sustainable, growing revenue that funds armies, builds infrastructure, and keeps the population happy." I turn to face him. "Give me six months and access to our family's resources, and I'll make the Voss name synonymous with prosperity instead of just military might."
He sets down his drink, and I can see the moment he stops thinking of me as his disappointing daughter and starts seeing me as a potential business partner.
"What do you need?"
Before I can answer, there's a knock at the door. A servant enters, looking nervous.
"Your Grace, forgive the intrusion. There's a messenger from the palace. He says it's urgent."
Duke Voss and I exchange glances. That was fast, even by royal standards.
The messenger is young, sweating despite the cool evening air. "Your Grace, Lady Seraphina. His Majesty requests Lady Seraphina's presence at the palace tomorrow morning. Private audience."
After the messenger leaves, my father turns to me with a grim expression.
"The king doesn't request private audiences with young ladies who've just embarrassed his son in public."
"No," I agree. "He requests them with people he considers potential threats."
The System screen flares brighter: [WARNING: KING FREDERICK SUSPICION LEVEL RISING. RECOMMEND DIPLOMATIC APPROACH. FAILURE MAY RESULT IN IMPRISONMENT OR EXECUTION.]
I wave my hand, trying to dismiss the irritating display. Duke Voss notices the gesture but doesn't comment.
"What will you tell him?" he asks.
I think about it, running through possibilities like I'm preparing for a hostile board meeting. "The truth, mostly. That I believe the kingdom's future depends on economic strength rather than just political alliances."
"And if he threatens you?"
"Then I'll remind him that threatening the daughter of his most powerful military ally while he's dying and his son is unmarried might not be the wisest political strategy."
Duke Voss actually smiles at that. "You know, Seraphina, you might just survive this after all."
"I intend to do more than survive, Father. I intend to win."
But as I head to my chambers to prepare for tomorrow's audience, the System screen follows me, pulsing with increasingly urgent warnings:
[ATTENTION: MULTIPLE PLOT DEVIATIONS DETECTED. ORIGINAL STORYLINE COMPROMISED. BACKUP PROTOCOLS ACTIVATING.]
[WARNING: HOSTILE ENTITIES RESPONDING TO TIMELINE CHANGES.]
[CRITICAL ALERT: ISABELLA MONROE ADVANCEMENT ACCELERATED. ARRIVAL IN CAPITAL MOVED TO TOMORROW.]
I freeze in the hallway. Isabella Monroe—the sweet, innocent heroine who was supposed to win Prince Damien's heart. According to the original timeline, she shouldn't arrive at court for another two months.
Someone is changing the story from the other side.
And they're moving fast.