The morning bells rang out across the city, but Cassia was already awake. She didn't feel the panic she had felt the day before. The grief for Ronan was still there, heavy and quiet, but it didn't control her. She sat at her dresser and pulled out the piece of paper she had hidden in the top drawer.
There were several names written on it, but one was circled in dark ink.
Edwin Hale. Head Clerk of the High Steward's Office.
Cassia looked at the name for a long time. She wasn't just guessing anymore. She had found her target.
"You're not just a name anymore," she whispered to the empty room. "You're the reason my brother is a criminal."
An hour later, Cassia stood in the center of a dressing chamber. Three seamstresses moved around her like birds, pinning and tucking the heavy white silk of her wedding dress. The fabric was stiff and expensive. It felt like armor. It was designed to make her look like a Duchess, but all it did was make it hard to breathe.
