Chapter 3

"Oh honey, you look gorgeous!" Queen Hewen gushed to Knallia as the princess showed them her dress in the bedroom.

"Thank you, mother," Knallia replied with a sigh. She was almost out of time. In a few more hours, she would be engaged to marry someone who would more than likely make her miserable.

"You know, Prince Martin might not be that bad," her father reminded her, affecting a bored tone. He was obsessed with him as his father ruled the kingdom of Ferral which shared their border to the south, and if they were married then they could rule both countries together.

"You know, father, Martin was by far the worst of the Princes you brought here for me to meet. He's cruel, stupid, arrogant, and has possibly the worst hygiene of anyone I've ever met," she said, copying his tone exactly.

Her father sighed in disappointment. "Were any of them passable?"

"Nope," she answered simply. Knallia wasn't going to lie about something this important.

"Well, there are a number of princes that you haven't met yet, so perhaps one of them will strike your fancy," he said hopefully.

"I truly hope so," she agreed. Indeed, that was her only hope right now, was that there was a choice she hadn't met that might make her future seem bright, instead of a chore.

"There is one more issue we should discuss," her father broached.

"Oh no," Knallia groaned. There wasn't much more she could take.

"This is actually not a bad thing dear," her mother interjected. Knallia just rolled her eyes. To them it may not be bad, but who was asking her if it was?

"She's right. Vanya has crafted a pair of magic rings that will help make these process a little less painful," he gestured to a guard near the door out of her room, and it was opened to let a short and squat man with a square cut white beard.

Knallia hadn't spent very much time with Vanya but had heard his name several times. She knew that he was the court wizard and that must include casting spells. If he cast a love spell on her, she was going to kick him though.

The little man waddled over to them and presented a single ring to her father. "This is the one for Princess Knallia," he said in a voice that sounded as if he was talking in his sleep.

Her father picked it up and examined it. "Excellent! Thank you, Vania!" He took the ring and handed it out to her. "This is for you. You need to put this on."

She picked it up like it was one of the lizards that Bandit kept bringing in from the gardens. It seemed to be a simple silver band, nothing special, though a bit large for her. She sighed and slipped it on to her right thumb since that was her widest finger, and then gasped when it shrunk to fit her snugly.

Vanya chuckled. "That is a safety precaution princess, do not fear. It will help you find it's mate." He handed a second silver band to her father who handed it right over to her again.

"It's mate?" she asked, her voice a little high. Magic wasn't something she was familiar with and made her nervous.

"Yes, well. Tonight, when you choose your match, you give them the other ring. Once they put it on, you will be bonded in a fashion. You will be able to concentrate on your ring to find the other."

"We don't want you to have that same issue that Prince Charming fellow had a few years ago, tramping all over his kingdom to find a girl with a shoe!" her mother scoffed.

"Oh no, no, this is much more elegant," Vanya assured them.

Knallia had to say, it didn't sound too bad. Not that she expected there to be an issue, but just in case, the ring would be a good insurance policy. "What happens if I put it on myself?" she asked, her natural curiosity getting the best of her.

"It wouldn't let you," Vanya assured her with a chuckle. "Go ahead and try."

Indeed, when she tried to slip it onto one of her other fingers, it kept shrinking to be too small to fit. She had to admit, that was quite interesting magic. "Vanya, I like these!" she admitted. "I still don't like the whole marriage thing," she added with a glance at her father, "but I think these could come in handy. Thank you." She bowed politely.

"Oh, you're very welcome!" he said, bouncing on the balls of his feet happily. "Oh, one last thing. The ring only works if you give it to someone. If you drop it and someone tries to put it on, then it will shrink like it did for you!"

"Is that all?" Knallia asked, hoping there were no more things to worry about.

"Yes, that is it," her father assured her.

"Oh, but do have a snack before the ball, you don't want to be cranky!" her mother added.

Knallia sighed, but her mother had a point. If she had nothing to eat it wouldn't improve her mood, and she would need all the positivity she could get to get through the night. "I will have a light dinner before it starts," she agreed.

Her parents turned and headed out of her room, letting her have a little peace and quiet. She went back to her closet, shedding the dress and slipping into a robe. No sense getting the dress dirty by wearing it all afternoon. Laying in her bed, she covered her eyes with a pillow and tried to stop the bitter tears from rolling down her face. The pillow didn't stop the them, she didn't think anything would, but at least it absorbed them.

Aven's stomach was in knots, and she didn't know if she could go through with her plan. It was one thing to sneak into businesses that she knew were dirty back home, but entirely different to steal from people she didn't know were bad or not. Yes, the money could get her and her father out of debt and out from under Lobbark's thumb, but she was going to feel awful afterwards.

She sat on the floor, her legs pulled against her chest and her back against the wall, just breathing. She had to do this, if she didn't then Lobbark would probably throw her father in the dungeon. But I don't want to! She yelled in her mind. You have to. And that was it, she did have to. She didn't have the best relationship with her father, but she still loved him and wouldn't let him get hurt. She would figure something out.

She stood and walked over to the wardrobe, taking out the outfit she had planned for the night. Slowly she got dressed in the skintight black pants, and looser fitting button down shirt. She had to admit, the tailor had done an amazing job, and she had given him a few extra coppers that she couldn't really afford for his expertise. She had been able to find a pair of black men's riding boots cheap, they had been made for a young boy who went through a growth spurt after the measurements were made, and the leatherworker was thrilled to have sold them. The last item was a silver mask that she had gone to a fancy store that sold all kinds of party items like fans, masks, and decorations to find. The mask fit her outfit perfectly, and was large enough to cover her cheekbones, which were the only thing that ever gave away that she was a woman in disguise. A silver handkerchief completed the look, and Aven was suddenly a ne'er do well prince.

Looking in the mirror, she thought it just might work. She may not be a real prince, but when jewels disappeared, nobody would be looking for a young lady after this outfit. Her curly hair was a little longer than she would have liked, but she hadn't the money for a proper cut, so this would have to do. Her brown eyes would hopefully not be noticed, though she thought she may have to dance with a few of the ladies if she were going to get close to their jewelry. This was as good as it was going to get.

It was show time.