Duchess Lilith Raven stood in the doorway, her presence filling the room like a physical force.
She was dressed in her usual elegant black, her dark hair pulled back, her purple eyes—so like mine—fixed on Princess Elara with an expression that was equal parts amused and calculating.
Here we go.
Mother's about to do her 'terrifying duchess' routine.
Poor Elara.
"Your Highness," Mother said, her voice smooth and cold. "What a... unexpected pleasure."
Elara immediately curtsied, and I saw Lady Margot do the same.
The princess is NERVOUS.
Good.
She SHOULD be nervous.
Mother is TERRIFYING.
"Duchess Raven," Elara said, her voice steady despite the fear I could see in her eyes. "Thank you for allowing me to visit your home. I'm conducting a diplomatic investigation into—"
"Agricultural reform," Mother finished, and I heard the amusement in her voice. "Yes, I heard. Very creative, Your Highness. I'm sure your parents were thoroughly convinced."
Oh, Mother KNOWS.
Of course she knows.
She probably knew the moment Elara arrived.
Elara's face flushed slightly, but she didn't back down.
Good.
Don't grovel.
Mother hates groveling.
"I wanted to see Lady Isabel's home," Elara said honestly. "I wanted to understand... her family. Her power."
Mother's expression shifted—just slightly—into something that might have been approval.
"Honesty," she said. "How refreshing. Most royals prefer polite lies."
She stepped into the room, and I felt the temperature drop.
Here comes the TEST.
Mother's about to evaluate whether Elara is WORTHY.
But instead of intimidating the princess, Mother simply walked to the center of the training chamber and looked around with the air of someone inspecting their property.
"This room has been in our family for four hundred years," she said. "Every Raven heir has trained here. Every generation has added to its power." She turned to Elara. "You can feel it, can't you? The magic. The death. The darkness."
Elara nodded slowly.
"It's... overwhelming," she admitted.
"Good," Mother said. "That means you're sensitive to it. That means you have potential." She glanced at me. "Isabel is teaching you, I assume?"
Wait.
Is Mother APPROVING of this?
Is she actually OKAY with me teaching the princess dark magic?
"I've shown her some basics," I said carefully. "Nothing dangerous."
"Yet," Mother added, and I saw the hint of a smile. "Nothing dangerous yet."
She turned back to Elara.
"Your Highness, if you're going to learn from my daughter, you need to understand something. Dark magic is not a toy. It's not a hobby. It's a commitment. It will change you. It will mark you. And once you start down this path, there is no going back."
Mother is giving her the SPEECH.
The 'are you sure you want to do this' speech.
The same one she probably gave Original Isabel.
Elara met Mother's gaze without flinching.
My brave little princess.
Standing up to the Duchess of House Raven.
I'm so PROUD.
"I understand," Elara said. "And I want to learn anyway."
Mother studied her for a long moment, then nodded.
"Very well," she said. "But if you're going to study dark magic, you'll do it properly. No half-measures. No dabbling. You commit, or you leave."
"I commit," Elara said immediately.
Holy SHIT.
The princess just committed to learning dark magic.
In front of the Duchess of House Raven.
This is BINDING.
This is a VOW.
My little pet just made a magical promise.
Mother's smile widened—just slightly—and I saw genuine approval in her eyes.
"Good," she said. "Then I'll leave you to your lessons. Isabel, don't let her do anything stupid. And Your Highness—if you die in my training chamber, I'll have to explain it to your parents, and that would be terribly inconvenient."
That's Mother's version of 'be careful.'
Terrifying and practical.
With that, Mother swept out of the room, leaving us in stunned silence.
Lady Margot looked like she was about to faint.
Elara looked THRILLED.
And I felt a surge of pride mixed with terror.
The princess just made a magical commitment to learn dark magic.
In front of my MOTHER.
This is either the best thing that's ever happened or the worst.
Probably both.
"Your mother is terrifying," Elara said, her voice filled with awe.
"Yes," I agreed. "Yes, she is."
"I like her," Elara added.
Of course you do.
You're drawn to power and darkness.
You're exactly like me.
My perfect little protégé.
Nyx, who had been silent throughout the entire exchange, finally spoke up.
"The princess has more spine than I expected," he observed. "I approve."
Elara's eyes went WIDE when she saw Nyx.
"Is that...?"
"My familiar," I said. "Nyx. He's a Shadowviper. And he's an asshole."
"I prefer 'selectively supportive,'" Nyx corrected.
Elara reached out slowly, and Nyx—surprisingly—allowed her to touch his scales.
He's letting her touch him.
Nyx is ACCEPTING her.
That's... significant.
"He's beautiful," Elara whispered.
"He's also venomous, sarcastic, and occasionally cowardly," I added. "But yes. Beautiful."
"I'm RIGHT HERE," Nyx hissed.
This is perfect.
The princess is bonding with my familiar.
She's committed to learning dark magic.
And Mother APPROVES.
Everything is falling into place.
My brilliant little pet is officially MINE.