Dante entered his study to find a guest already waiting for him.
"I want to be alone," said Dante.
"You say that, but there's a little voice in my head telling me that you don't mean it," said Rick Henderson, a childhood friend of Dante.
"Is that voice telling you that you're about to be hit?" Dante asked as he passed Rick.
"Why yes. Yes, it is. It's too early for you to be grumpy, Dante. Who did it? Your mother or your wife?" Rick inquired, knowing someone was behind Dante's mood. "Is it the king?"
"You," Dante answered.
"I'm not falling for that. You are happy to see me after all the time you were away. How rude of you to get married and not have me at the wedding. I'm going to repay you by not inviting you to my wedding."
"How unfortunate," Dante replied, his tone laced with sarcasm.
Rick ignored Dante's fake hurt and said, "I can't do that. I'll have you front and centre. Now, tell me how your new wife is? I didn't get the chance to see her."
"Did you do as I told you?" Dante asked, focusing on more important matters.
Rick folded his arms and leaned back on the wall behind him. "I did. I killed all of them. Joel isn't too wise, but I don't understand you either. You know he's not going to stop trying to kill you just because there's a truce, but you went along with the marriage."
"This marriage will keep a few people quiet for a while. They won't strike now since the king is speaking of peace, but they will in the future and when they do, it will be too late," Dante explained.
"You're giving yourself time for a bigger attack? If your mother had it her way, she would rather you had marched out with the men to kill Joel instead of getting married. You're a war beast, Dante. You could have ended this when you went there," said Rick.
There could have been a funeral instead of a wedding if Dante wanted it.
Dante sat down on his chair and rolled out a map.
"You, are you still unwell? Hasn't that feeling gone away yet?" Rick asked, concerned about Dante's well-being. "You should get your family doctor to look at you."
"That would only alert my mother and the king. I'll be fine as long as I don't use it," Dante assured Rick.
Rick sighed. "This must be the price of having such power. If it makes you feel ill, then you shouldn't use it, but I am concerned about the full moon coming soon. You're never yourself when that happens, and we have a guest."
"What are you going to do about your wife?" Rick asked, hoping Ophelia would stay imprisoned.
An outsider could never learn the secrets of the castle, and if Ophelia were unfortunate enough to hear them, she could never leave.
"What am I to do with her?"
"Eventually, you're going to kill Joel. What will you do with her then? You won't be forced to keep her as your wife," said Rick.
"I'll know when I get there," Dante replied. "Keep an eye on her surroundings."
"Fear she'll snoop around? I'm certain your mother has assigned a maid to always be with her. Unless she's been trained to kill, I wouldn't worry. Daughters of nobles can't hurt a fly."
Hearing this, Dante looked up at Rick.
Unbeknownst to Dante, he smiled.
"Not this one. She would kill me if she wanted," Dante said, having seen enough to believe it.
This sent Rick into a panic. "Did something happen? This is why you shouldn't have married his daughter. We can't trust them. You can place her outside the castle, and no one would think anything of it."
Dante leaned back on his chair and asked, "Why should I do that?"
"You don't know what her father sent her to do-"
"He's not her blood father. That's common knowledge, and judging from her body, she wasn't treated fairly. She might hate him as much as I do," Dante assumed.
"Still, she was raised under his care," Rick pointed out. "Her mother is still under Joel's care. Don't tell me for one second you don't think she can't be a threat."
"I didn't say that. She is still from enemy lines, so we must keep a close eye on her, but my fight doesn't lie with her. It is with Joel," Dante clarified, so Rick knew how to act. "As long as she doesn't cause any trouble, leave her be."
"The men are loyal to you, but they won't go along with this. Your wife might not have had any part in the war and is innocent, but your servants have lost innocent relatives to the blades of Joel's men. They won't care for her," said Rick.
"I am well aware. Hate her if you wish, but no harm must come to her while she is here. Remind the men that their actions have consequences for me, and I am not in any mood to visit the king again," Dante said, annoyed by the thought of going to the palace.
"I will speak to them for you. The king will soon summon you and Joel together to the palace, so you must be prepared for it. You will have to take your wife with you. Why don't you use this time to get close to her?" Rick suggested.
"Don't glare at me. It's not for falling in love, but to find out what she knows. She's still his stepdaughter, so there must be something she knows. Work your charms. You've had many ladies fall for you without trying. Do it for war now," Rick encouraged Dante.
"No," Dante replied.
"Why not? If you get her to trust you, I am most certain she will speak as if there is no tomorrow."
"I am not in the mood for it. Let this be the end of it, or it will be the end of your life. Find someone else to bother," said Dante.
Rick shook his head. "You'll reconsider soon enough."
A knock on the door ended their talk.
Rick moved to open the door and found Victoria standing outside.
"I'll let you two speak in private," Rick decided and took the moment to exit.
Victoria entered and closed the door behind her. She noticed that Dante's gaze didn't settle on her for long.
"Are you still angry with me?" Victoria asked, afraid to get too close to Dante.
"When did I say I was angry with you?"
"I paid attention to your actions," Victoria answered while taking small steps toward Dante. "You also made it very clear you are not happy I am still here. I wanted to apologise."
"I wasn't seeking an apology. I know that you need me, but you can't hold the title of my mistress any longer. You never should have-"
"You mustn't take it away!" Victoria exclaimed.