After lunch, she was taken back to her room to rest, but Candi could not lie still. One thing that the Emperor said resonated with her.

She was entering a series of contests and she didn’t even know what she was supposed to be competing for or even what the criteria was.

She was supposed to show up the next morning in front of the Palisades and she didn’t even know what the Palisades were or what she was supposed to be doing there.

Unable to lie still, Candi threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. She needed to find Byron. She had to clarify a few things with him.

The Ladies-in-waiting had taken her clothes away and only left her with a soft white sleeping sheath. With no other clothing choice, she padded barefoot across the floor and poked her head out of the room.

“Excuse me.” She called out to the Maid-in-waiting outside the doorway.

“Milady,” the maid bowed.

“Could I get something to wear? I want to go find Byron and talk with him about something.”

“Milady, if you please return to your room, I will bring your clothing immediately.”

Candi nodded and retreated back into the room. Were they expecting her to take a nap?

It was two in the afternoon. For a modern-day woman who spent an inordinate amount of time digging in the dirt with a teaspoon, she could not lie still and nap.

She tried the French doors and found that they were unlocked.

Throwing the doors wide, she found that the tiny courtyard was indeed, her bedroom’s private courtyard since there were no other doors that opened onto the small garden.

Throwing her arms up, she began her stretches. If she didn’t try to keep up her workouts, it would be difficult to do any of her ‘cat burglary’ work once she returned from this forced vacation.

For lack of a balance bar, she resorted to using the handrail of the tiny bridge that crossed a small koi pond. The bridge made a good span to work on her stretches at the very least.

She was still stretching when Byron walked through the French doors to find her. He had changed out of his formal robes and was now wearing casual pants and a soft gray pullover.

“You wanted to talk with me but you are undressed and dancing outside in the garden.”

She looked up at him.

With a few large strides, he reached around her and wrapped a thin robe over her shoulders.

Candi grinned.

She was so used to wearing ballet leotards that were even more revealing than this sleep shift that she had felt quite natural as he came out.

“Byron. You know I have to be at the Palisades tomorrow morning.”

He nodded.

“What am I supposed to do there?”

Byron was silent for a few moments as he buttoned her robe down the front.

“You’re supposed to win.”

“But how can I win if I don’t even know what the criteria is?”

“You didn’t know the criteria for today’s event either and you came in first.”

Candi shook her head and heaved a sigh.

“That was a fluke. A huge lucky fluke! I’m not going to get another lucky break.”

“I think you will do well.” Byron smiled. “But if you’re really that worried, I can tell you that tomorrow’s criteria will be ‘Strength and Vitality’.”

“What does that mean? Aren’t all the contestants strong and full of vigor?”

“Yes, but how many of those women will be able to scale the Palisades?”

Candi’s jaw dropped.

“We’re supposed to climb something?”

“A sheer cliff, yes.”

“But what if we can’t do it?”

“Then you get disqualified.”

“But Byron, how could you possibly know if I can do something like that?”

Byron smiled.

“Weren’t you scaling tall buildings during your heist?”

“Yes but I had professional equipment. I wasn’t scaling with my fingers and toes. And I don’t have wings. How am I going to compete with women who have wings???”

Byron laughed and tapped her nose with his finger.

“All those women who had wings couldn’t beat your grace on that Sky Walk, nor could they beat your face.”

Candi wrinkled her nose.

“I told you. That was a fluke!”

Byron gave her a slight frown.

“Are you trying to lose on purpose because you don’t want to marry me?”

“What?” She planted her hands on her hips. “I didn’t even know until this afternoon at lunch with your parents that you were the final prize.”

“You make it sound so unappetizing.”

She looked at her bare feet.

“It’s not that. I thought I was competing for riches of the Universe, not to become someone’s wife.”

“And finding out that the riches of the Universe came attached to a man made you unhappy?”

“No, not unhappy. I was just overwhelmed. Honestly, I wasn’t even stealing the Avgo for myself. It was supposed to be turned in to my employer.”

“Madam Broussard of Xolstice.”

Candi nodded. She looked up into his guarded red-brown eyes and shivered.

For a moment, he stood there, silently assessing her, as if he was carefully measuring his words.

“Listen to me. At this time, you should be more focused on winning the Avgo Event than worrying about what you will win IF you win.”

His eyes grew cold.

“Understand this, Candace Farrah of Earth. You are currently an escaped suspect and Earth wants you back for questioning. The only way we can keep them from extraditing you is if you are still a contestant of the Avgo Event.”

He leaned forward with ferocious intensity.

“If you get disqualified, your part is over and you have to go back to Earth.”

A fear tinged her soul.

“But what’s to stop them from arresting me after I win?”

Byron leaned back with a short laugh.

“If you win, you will be a Princess Bride of Erenveil. Do you know what Erenveil represents?”

Candi took a breath and shook her head.

“Erenveil is the Capital of this Galaxy. They cannot arrest someone in your position. You can simply order them to go home and they will have no choice but to comply.”

“Fine. My life and freedom is on the line. I will fight for that.” Her voice came in, strong and stead.

“Good girl.” He nodded. “Now. Let’s get you fitted for the next event, shall we?”

“Fitted?”

“Of course. You can’t compete in a strength and vitality event dressed in a wedding gown,” he looked away from her, “or this sheer, almost see-through sleep dress.”

He snapped his fingers.

Immediately a trail of Royal Maids-in-waiting came through the French doors with trays bearing an assortment of things.

Candi’s eyes lit up as she recognized some of the things that were brought through.

“Some of this is very similar to the tool belt from my burglar outfit!”

Byron smiled.

“We had someone retrieve your professional items from your home. Those that needed replacement, we replaced. Those that were usable are here. Your outfit, we recreated with certain modifications.”

“Modifications?”

He turned to the head Maid.

“Take her and get her fitted properly. Make sure everything is to her specifications.”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness.”

As the maids ushered her away, Candi stole a glance at Byron’s stiff unyielding back.

He seemed so closed and guarded, gentlemanly and correct, but his eyes betrayed him at times.

She wondered what he would be like once she continued to peel away the protective layers that surrounded him.