Andrew started clapping slowly. He mocked, "Bravo. That was truly something. A full-on knight-in-shining-armor performance!"

Aspen pleaded, "Andrew, please don't get mad. I'll make him leave right now!"

Andrew raised an eyebrow. "Mad? I'm not mad at all. Actually, I'm happy for you."

Aspen blinked in confusion. "Happy for me? Why?"

Andrew gave her a chilling smile. "I mean, look at you—some heir to a powerful family wants to marry you, all head over heels, ready to rescue you from a so-called nightmare. That's gotta be something worth celebrating, right?"

Aspen fell silent. She could not explain it, but something about that smile of his sent shivers down her spine.

Seth tugged at his collar and looked down on Andrew with a smug grin. He said, "Kid, I know you've got a little something going on. Back in a small dump like Jayrodale, you might even pass for a big shot.

"But this is the capital. It's a battleground full of real players. This isn't some backwater town you can