Valentina grabbed her jacket and pulled out a small leather notebook. "I know more than you think." She opened it showing pages of secret notes. "House Blackrose has spies in all the important families in Lyranth."
She started sharing key info, drawing invisible maps on the table between them. "Gareth already bribed two judges for the Trial of Arcane Mastery—Lord Bainbridge and Lady Fenwick. The third judge, Lord Hemlock, has a thing for redheads." She looked up to see how Arthur would react. "He visits the Crimson Petal brothel every third night."
Arthur noticed she was watching him closely.
"So you want to use my powers on a royal judge," Arthur said.
"I'm saying use whatever advantage you have." Valentina closed her notebook. "The question is if you're willing to do what it takes to win."
"Show ," Arthur said, getting paper and ink from his desk.
Valentina took the pen gracefully, drawing out a map of noble families and their connections. She worked quickly, showing she knew way more about court politics than even the royal advisors.
"House Silvermoor is key to getting divine approval," she explained, circling the na. "Lysandra's engagent to Gareth was clever, but it's not very stable." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "The girl is scared of your brother's temper. She's seen how he treats servants when he's angry."
"How do you know that?" Arthur asked, impressed.
Valentina smiled mysteriously. "Her handmaiden is sleeping with my stablemaster. People talk a lot in bed."
She continued, pointing to Queen Isolde's na on the paper. "Your stepmother is another opportunity. Her marriage isn't going well. Roderick hasn't visited her bedroom in almost six months."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "You keep track of the king's bedroom habits?"
"I keep track of everything important," Valentina replied simply. "Including that Thorne starts his investigation tomorrow. He'll focus on magic traces from the assassination attempt, but if he's thorough, he might sense your... special energy if you're not careful."
Arthur took all this in, seeing how valuable her network was. "And Gareth? What's he planning besides the obvious?"
"He ets secretly with House Ironwood twice a week in the old watchtower by the east wall." Valentina looked serious. "My raven has overheard bits of conversation. They talk about making sure there's a 'definitive succession' if the Trial of Arcane Mastery doesn't get rid of you."
"Another assassination attempt," Arthur concluded.
"Probably. But more careful this ti." Valentina studied him. "You should know that for all this info, I expect to be more than just soone you sleep with. House Blackrose deserves a high position when you beco king."
Arthur looked at her thoughtfully. "And if I need to get close to others for strategic reasons?"
Valentina's eyes moved to a hairpin on the bedside table. She got up smoothly and walked over to pick it up.
"Your little elf maid really likes you," she said, turning the pin in her fingers. "I can sll her perfu here. Lavender and chamomile—simple, like her."
The room felt tense in a different way than before. Valentina gripped the hairpin a little tighter.
"I don't like to share, my prince," she said quietly. "Rember that."
Arthur stood and walked silently over to her. He took the hairpin from her and put it down.
"You'll need to learn," he said firmly but not unkindly. "My power grows with each... connection. Politics will require certain alliances."
Valentina's eyes flashed. "There's a difference between political alliances and what happened in that bed."
"Is there?" Arthur asked softly. "Wasn't this about power from the mont you approached in the courtyard?"
She didn't answer right away, clearly thinking hard. Finally, she sighed. "You're right, of course. Politics and pleasure have always been mixed together. But listen—" She stepped closer, putting her hand possessively on his chest. "I will be your most important advisor, your closest confidante."
"And if you're not?" Arthur asked, testing her.
Valentina smiled dangerously. "Then we'll have a problem. Blood magic has many uses beyond what you saw tonight."
Morning light started coming through the curtains, filling the room with soft gold. Valentina got dressed thodically, turning back into the intimidating duchess.
Each piece of clothing was like armor—the silk blouse, the fitted riding jacket, the polished boots. When she finished, she hardly looked like the woman who had been defeated in his bed.
"I'll have my spies watch Gareth's etings with House Ironwood," she said, checking her look in a small mirror. "They're planning sothing specific for the Trial—it would be good to know what."
Arthur nodded, already dressed in a simple shirt and pants. "And I'll make sure you don't regret choosing over my brother."
Valentina ca up to him, studying his face with new interest. "You're nothing like what everyone thinks, are you? The disappointing prince, the scholarly failure—it's all an act now."
"Maybe it always was," Arthur suggested.
She laughed softly, then surprised him by leaning in to kiss him with unexpected gentleness. The kiss lingered, almost tender compared to their earlier passion.
When she pulled away, her expression had hardened back to the duchess that everyone knew and feared. "Don't think that because I submit in bed, I'll submit in everything else, incubus prince. Our arrangent helps us both, but I'm still in charge of House Blackrose."
Arthur nodded in acknowledgnt, walking her to the door. "Until next ti, Lady Valentina."
"Tomorrow night," she confird. "The north tower has an unused library. We can go over what I've learned about the Trial judges there."
After she left, Arthur closed the door and leaned against it, thinking about what had happened. His system showed new notifications:
[Alliance Ford: House Blackrose (Conditional)]
[Harem Capacity: 2/3 - New Addition: Duchess Valentina Blackrose]
[Quest Updated: Trial of Arcane Mastery - New Information Available]
[Warning: Blood Bond Detected - Subject may sense strong emotional states]
The unexpected blood bond complicated things, but the political advantages of their alliance were clear.
Arthur smiled to himself, rembering how quickly the proud duchess had ultimately given in to his power. That mory—and the energy he'd gained—would help him in the challenges ahead.
Now he needed to prepare for Royal Mage Thorne's investigation, build his strategy for the Trial of Arcane Mastery, and decide who to target next. Maybe Lysandra of Silvermoor? Taking Gareth's fiancée would seriously hurt his brother's claim.
With new confidence, Arthur went to his desk and started planning his next move in the dangerous ga of succession.
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