Rumors Spread Throughout the Argent
Princess Solana considered her options for a moment. Things had already gone this far, she might as well see it through.
She turned to the scholars still whispering in the corner. "So, do you want to know what happens next?"
They all gave a stiff, unified nod.
A smile touched Solana's lips. "In a few days, my Spring Breeze Tower will be opening. If you want to hear the rest of the story, you're all welcome to come check it out."
One of the scholars hesitated. "But... isn't the Spring Breeze Tower a brothel? That's not exactly a place for scholars."
Solana raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious? I'm a princess. If I were to open a brothel out in the open, don't you think my father would have punished me by now? What I'm opening isn't a brothel. It's a legitimate entertainment club, a place to watch shows, eat, drink, and just have a good time.
It's the only one of its kind in all of Argent."
The scholars exchanged glances. She had a point. And besides, they were dying to know how the story turned out. Suddenly, the opening of the princess's new club couldn't come soon enough.
With a final, knowing smirk, Solana turned and left, her maid and guard falling into step behind her as if she didn't have a care in the world.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Princess, Verity, had returned to the palace. She was now kneeling in the Imperial Study, formally petitioning the Emperor to approve a marriage between Landon Vance and Percival Dawes.
The Emperor, having just heard her version of events, was too shocked to speak.
"Are you telling me," he finally managed, "that Landon Vance doesn't like women, but likes men instead?"
Verity nodded eagerly. "Father, you should have seen it! Today at The Argent Quill, Landon stood up to protect Percival, no matter what anyone thought. He was so bold! And Percival protected Landon without a second thought for his own safety. It was so moving!"
The Emperor's expression turned skeptical. "Verity, did you go bother Landon again today? Are you just making all this up because you're mad he ignored you?"
Princess Verity met his gaze, her expression earnest. "Father, I don't like Landon anymore. I was so naive. I kept bothering him and got in the way of his happiness with Percival. To make up for it, I'm asking you to grant them a marriage decree."
The Emperor rubbed his temples and let out a long sigh. He was getting too old for this; he just couldn't keep up with these kids anymore.
"Marriage is a family matter," he said wearily. "Why are you sticking your nose in the Vance family's business?"
He had a feeling that if he actually approved this, the old head of the Vance family would be so furious he'd drop dead from a heart attack right there in the Golden Throne Hall.
"If you don't approve this marriage soon, Landon's father is going to force him to marry Brooke Bradford," Verity pressed. "Father, can you really live with yourself if you're the one who tears two lovers apart?"
The Emperor was silent. He thought about it for a second.
Yeah, he could absolutely live with it.
If his own son had ignored a sea of eligible women only to fall for a man, he wouldn't just force him to marry a woman. He'd probably beat the rebellious kid half to death.
"This is the Vance family's private business," he said, his voice firm. "An unmarried princess has no right to interfere. What's gotten into you?"
"Fine. If you won't grant the marriage decree, Father, then I'll just have to find a way myself."
With that, Princess Verity bowed to the Emperor and walked out of the Imperial Study. As he watched her determined exit, a muscle in the Emperor's jaw began to twitch.
"Steward Payne," he called out. "Send someone to The Argent Quill. I want to know what *really* happened today."
Steward Payne, whose own curiosity was piqued, hurried off to do just that.
After leaving the Imperial Study, Princess Verity went straight to her mother's rooms. When that failed, she tried the Empress's chambers, only to get shut down again.
But she wasn't one to give up. If persuasion wouldn't work, money would. Fueled by Princess Verity's coin, the palace was soon buzzing with gossip about the epic romance between Landon Vance and Percival Dawes.
When she first heard the rumors, Consort De immediately dispatched a servant to her family to find out what in the world was going on with her prized nephew.
The servant returned not long after, confirming her worst fears: the entire capital was now buzzing with the story of the grand romance between Landon Vance and Percival Dawes.
The news hit her like a physical blow. With a cry of fury, Consort De swept the entire tea set from the table, the porcelain shattering against the floor.
"Percival Dawes!" she seethed. "That useless piece of trash! He can't do anything right! All he does is make a mess of things!"
She paced the room, her voice shaking with rage.
"I gave him a fortune to buy that courtesan from the Spring Breeze Tower. The plan was to install her in the Vance household as a seamstress, someone we could control. And that useless fool couldn't even manage that! Now he's dragged Landon into this disaster and ruined his reputation!"
Blair Vance, standing off to the side, was too stunned to speak. She could never have guessed things would spin out of control in such a ridiculous way.
She had expected Princess Solana to throw a tantrum in front of the Emperor. She'd even braced for men from Ashworth Manor to show up and beat Percival Dawes to a pulp. She had considered the possibility of the plan failing, of her aunt and the Vance family's involvement being exposed.
But she had never, in her wildest nightmares, imagined the end result would be her older brother becoming one half of a rumored couple with Percival Dawes.
"Aunt," Blair said, trying to regain her composure, "the most important thing right now is to finalize the marriage between my brother and the young lady from the Bradford House. We need to get them married as soon as possible. Once he's married, these rumors will die down on their own."
Consort De's expression soured further at the suggestion.
"Lord Bradford has been cast aside by His Majesty and demoted to a mere vice minister. How is his daughter a good match for my nephew now? Marrying a woman with no connections would be useless for his future. He'd just be dragged down by her family's problems. I will absolutely not allow it."
Blair fell silent. The events of this life were going completely off-script from her past one.
Scrap, who was supposed to have escaped, was now a guard at Ashworth Manor.
Lord Bradford, who should have been secure in his position, had been demoted because of Princess Solana.
The courtesan who was supposed to die at the Spring Breeze Tower was now working for Princess Solana.
And now, even the Fourth Princess and Princess Solana, who had both been desperate to marry her brother, were teaming up to pair him with a man.
Princess Solana's influence was behind every single one of these deviations. A cold dread washed over Blair. *Could it be? Was Princess Solana reborn, too?* The thought sent a jolt of pure panic through her.
"Aunt," she said, her voice tight, "Princess Solana is not as simple as she looks."
Consort De's surprise lasted only a second before it curdled into contempt.
"A motherless wild child who gets by on the Emperor's and the Empress Dowager's favor? What's so 'not simple' about her? She only dares to spread these stories about my nephew because she knows they'll let her get away with it."
"But their favor is exactly what makes her so fearless," Blair argued. "She acts without thinking about the consequences. If she were some unpopular princess, would she dare to treat you like that, Aunt?"
The consort's face tightened as she remembered Solana's blatant disrespect in front of the Emperor, how the girl had shot her down again and again.
Her expression hardened, a cruel light entering her eyes.
"Then we'll just have to find a way to make the Emperor and the Empress Dowager despise her. In a few days, it will be the Empress Dowager's Grand Floral Banquet. Every noble house will bring rare flowers to present. Didn't your father just acquire a rare variety?
Presenting it then will be the perfect way to win back some of your nephew's reputation."
A new idea began to form, and her lips twisted into a sneer.
"I heard the Third Princess has also prepared a precious flower. If Solana sees the person she hates most showing off, she's bound to cause a scene."
"And if she throws another tantrum and ruins the Empress Dowager's banquet," she continued, "no matter how much they spoil her, they won't just let it slide. Not again."
Blair nodded slowly. "You think of everything, Aunt. We'll just slowly chip away at their patience. Once it's gone, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager will naturally turn on her."