Yes

As Prince Gareth and Nyxie were on the verge of forming a deal, a different deal was brewing in the palace in Adenya.

The High Priest was in the middle of writing his sermon when a woman entered his chambers. He did not like how revealing she was in her blue and gray attire and how little she revealed about herself. As far as he knew, she belonged to the enchantress class.

The woman’s eyes glowed blue as she locked the door. “High Priest Matthias.”

“Woman whose name I still don’t know.” If it weren’t for this deal, Matthias would have had this woman arrested on the spot last month.

She strolled closer to him before sitting casually on his desk. “I take it that the prince didn’t take ‘your’ displeasure of him joining the paladin rank well?”

Matthias slammed his quill down, its tip splattering ink onto the unfinished sermon. The woman had instructed him to prevent Gareth from becoming a paladin for reasons only she knew. However, Gareth had exceeded almost every paladin training, and it was becoming harder to deny Gareth’s ascension into the paladins without revealing his deal with this woman as the ceremony neared.

He knew he was on a tightrope. Denying Gareth any longer would cast a shadow over his integrity in the eyes of the King and the other paladins. Yet, revealing the deal with this mysterious woman could mean exile or worse.

“The prince is understandably frustrated with me,” Matthias admitted. “How much longer must this charade go on? At any moment, the King and Queen will ask why I stand in the way of their son’s path.”

The woman frowned. “It seems you’re doubting our arrangement.” She uncrossed her legs. “Wasn’t I the one who revealed Jorda’s plot against Adenya to you?”

Matthias’ frown deepened. Jorda. The rogue mage who’d attempted to infiltrate the palace with a band of thieves just a month prior. The information had saved lives. That much was true. “Yes,” he conceded. “But with Gareth and the paladins… I don’t understand why I’m doing what I’m doing.”

He glanced up to see the woman was checking her sharp nails with passive interest. “You do not need to understand. Just know you’re doing what’s in your kingdom’s best interest. Believe me, the last thing you want is for Gareth to become a paladin.”

“Why?” he demanded.

A flicker of annoyance flashed in the woman’s blue eyes as she stared at the High Priest. “Do you think I’m being this obtuse for fun?” She jumped off his desk. “Prince Gareth is going to return soon. Gather your paladins and have him arrested.”

Matthias placed a hand on his head. “Is there anything else you have me to do? Do you want me to reverse the river flow? How about making the Sun stand still? Anything else before the King has my head?”

The woman’s glowing blue eyes narrowed at Matthias’s sarcasm. “You overestimate the King’s power compared to mine,” she said with a cold smile. “You must carry out my orders, Matthias, for the sake of your kingdom. Remember, Gareth is being drawn to dangerous forces beyond his comprehension. If he wields that power along with the paladin class, Adenya itself will be at risk.”

Matthias sighed heavily, realizing that resistance was futile. “Very well, I’ll do as you ask. I just hope your motives align with the good of our kingdom, not some hidden agenda.”

The woman chuckled as she shook her head. “You can rest assured, High Priest. My interests align with the protection of Adenya. Now, gather your paladins and prepare for the prince’s return. Time is running out.”

With that, she turned on her heel and unlocked the door. Just as she was about to leave, she glanced back at Matthias. “Remember, you are only delaying his ascension. For now, keep him away from the ceremony and keep him safe. I will take care of the rest.” Then she left the High Priest’s chambers, leaving Matthias alone with the heavy burden of the choices he had to make.

***

A dark portal ripped through a garden as Prince Gareth and Nyxie stepped out. The young prince eyed the Dark Book in her hand. He could resist that book for 24 hours. He has to.

At least he was no longer underground. However, as Gareth looked around, he frowned. “Where are we?”

Nyxie shrugged. “Isn’t this your palace? You said your castle had a garden, important people live there, and everyone is always coming to visit?”

Gareth raised a hand to his temple and breathed deeply. He pointed at the exotic sign. “This is the Inn of the Dragon’s Teeth, a high-end hotel,” he said. “Not my palace.”

Nyxie glanced around the prosperous garden, noting the tall stone pillars and the ornate fountains that flowed with sparkling water. “A high-end hotel, you say?” she mused. “Perhaps it could serve as a temporary refuge while we figure out our next steps.”

Gareth kept his eyes on the Dark Book, wary of its power. “We shouldn’t linger here too long. My friend must have already arrived at the castle and is gathering the royal guards to find me.” He glanced up at Nyxie, who was twirling a strand of her blonde hair with a distracted look. Gareth didn’t know what if she was not paying attention or pretending to. “Can’t you use your Gates spell to teleport us to my castle?”

With an exaggerated sigh, Nyxie walked past Gareth and dramatically sat on a seat. “One moment.” She leaned back as she closed her eyes, the Dark Book lying on her lap.

“What are you doing?” Did he even want to know?

Nyxie opened her eyes. “Checking my status. I took two hits with charisma because the Dark Book was displeased with my mistake. The penalty will last a day.”

Gareth raised his eyebrow. “Status? Penalty?” He shook his head. “The more I learn about you and that cursed book, the more confused I am.”

Nyxie offered a casual shrug. “It’s not so complicated once you get the hang of it,” she said, though she kept her eyes on the Dark Book. “Though, I’ve found the book can be quite… moody. It likes to dole out penalties and rewards whenever it sees fit. You’ll understand once you start using the Dark Book.”

Gareth could hardly contain his frustration. “And you want me to make a ‘pact’ with this evil book. No matter, we can walk to my castle from here.”

“Not yet.”

“Not yet?”

Nyxie opened the book. “The Dark Book has also given me a task. Trust me, you do not want to fail those.” Her eyes skimmed through the page. “It says I have to convince someone to steal something valuable. And I can’t use magic to convince them.” She frowned, something Gareth thought she was incapable of. “Why don’t you twist my leg, book?”

“This is where we part ways.” Gareth walked away from Nyxie toward the main entrance.

“Wait, where are you going?”

Gareth turned back to her. “Back to my castle, and frankly, as far as possible from you and that corruptive book.”

Nyxie scoffed, the Dark Book snapping shut with a sharp crack. “Hold your high horses, prince. You think you could walk away? Naive. The Dark Book knows where you are, and you will feel its presence.”

“Goodbye, Nyxie.”

“Wait!” she called out, but he didn’t stop. She bit her lip and glanced at the book in her lap. This task was going to be difficult without magic. The worst part was that she was growing accustomed to Gareth. “At least steal something for me, please?”

***

“Alright, Nyxie, you got this,” she whispered while standing before a hotel door. This Dominate Person spell better be worth it. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

She could hear footsteps getting closer to the door. With a click, the door opened to reveal a shirtless man in shorts. “Are you the room service or entertainment?”

Nyxie tapped her chin. “Both.”

The man eyed Nyxie’s ragged clothes and frowned slightly. “Doesn’t the Dragon’s Teeth give better clothes to its staff?”

She sighed. “Do you really want to play this question game, or do you want to steal something exciting?”

The comment caught the shirtless man’s attention. His face shifted from confusion to curiosity, and he leaned against the doorframe with a casual air. “Steal something exciting, you say? What exactly are we talking about?”

Nyxie checked his fingers. No rings. “How would you like to bring a pretty lady to your room?”

The man raised his eyebrow. “You mean someone like you?”

She blushed as she glanced down. Even with her charisma taken down a notch or two, she knew how to play boys like him. “Not exactly. Follow me to the pool.”

Grabbing his hotel keys and a shirt, the man followed Nyxie outside to the pool area. With it being the early afternoon, there weren’t many people in the area. However, Nyxie quickly spotted her target sunbathing on a chair. She pointed, “Do you see that woman over there?”

The man squinted, scanning the pool area until his gaze settled on the woman Nyxie was referring to. “Yeah, I see her. What about her?”

Nyxie smirked, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “That noblewoman is known for her exquisite taste in men. Rumor has it she has a weakness for adventurous encounters.” She leaned closer to the man. “I feel she’d be quite intrigued by someone like you.”

His interest was piqued. “I heard the woman is married. Her husband is protective of her.”

Nyxie chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Oh, you heard correctly. But let me tell you a little secret, hun. Her husband has no idea how many men she’d seen.” She flashed a smile. “And I believe you’ll be the next man, mister…”

“Nathaniel,” he said. “Do you really think so?”

“Oh yeah,” she said with dripping sarcasm. She grabbed Nathaniel’s skinny arms. “Look at those muscles! She’ll rip your shorts off before you can make it back to your room.”

Flexing his arms, Nathaniel smiled at his modest biceps. No one is going to believe he banged a noblewoman. “What do I do? Go to the bar and buy some drinks?”

Nyxie nodded, her eyes glinting with excitement. “Good plan. You do that, and I’ll speak with the noblewoman and tell her you’re interested.” She patted his chest before strutting over to where the noblewoman lounged.

As Nyxie approached, the noblewoman lifted her head toward her direction. She scowled when she spotted Nyxie’s ragged appearance. “How did a commoner like you get into this hotel?”

Extending her hand, Nyxie muttered the incantation for Dominate Person. A faint shimmer emanated from her fingertips, and a small strip of leather appeared, the material component for the spell. The spell’s energy washed over the woman, targeting her mind.

Her eyes glazed over for a moment as she struggled against the spell’s influence. Nyxie focused her concentration, maintaining the spell and pushing her will onto the noblewoman. The noblewoman’s resistance crumbled a moment later, and she stood at attention, ready to obey.

“I’m putting your little sunbathing on pause,” Nyxie said with authority. “What’s your name, and are you married?”

“My name is Cassandra, and I am married,” she said flatly.

“Perfect!” Nyxie giggled as she stood by Cassandra’s side. She pointed at the bar. “You see that man over there buying the drinks? He’s Nathaniel.”

Cassandra nodded. “Nathaniel,” she slowly said.

“He’s going to steal you away, at least for a day.” The statement was accepted as fact as Cassandra nodded. “However,” Nyxie said, raising a finger. “Don’t make it easy for him. Make him earn it.”

Cassandra’s eyes flickered with confusion. “Make him earn it? How do you suggest I do that?”

Nyxie flashed a mischievous grin. “Tease him, challenge him. Play hard to get, but let him know the prize is worth the chase. Make him work for every inch of your beautiful body.”

“I can manage that.” Life and personality returned to her face as Cassandra sat on her lounge chair. The spell was on the verge of its completion.

“Oh, one more thing before I go.” Nyxie glanced at Nathaniel, who was heading toward them with the drinks. “When he has sex with you, dominate him. Show him who’s boss.”

Cassandra tilted her head. “How do I do that? My husband and I usually have boring sex.”

Time was up. “I don’t know, use your imagination.” With that, Nyxie walked away from the noblewoman and toward Nathaniel. “I practically gift-wrapped her to you,” she whispered to his ear. Sitting at a nearby chair, Nyxie watched the scene unfold.