Augusta immediately dropped to her knees. "La Regina, the white fox was indeed felled by my shot."

The moment our words landed, Aldric's expression shifted. He stared at me, his voice sharp with disbelief. "Camilla, there's no way you missed that shot."

"Your aim, your riding. You don't miss. What kind of game are you playing?"

Lenora's face changed the instant she heard the fox had been Augusta's kill.

Augusta caught Aldric's tone and turned to him, eyes reddening with wounded hurt. "Does the heir not believe I made the shot either?"

Aldric realized his blunder and quickly helped her to her feet. "Of course I do. I was simply so stunned I couldn't believe it at first. Your marksmanship has truly improved, my dear."

Lenora studied Augusta, still kneeling, then turned her gaze to me with a thin smile. "Camilla, you are the trueborn daughter of Don Falcone. No woman from any of the Five Families can match your skill. How could you possibly lose?"

This bride-selection gathering had been dressed up as a hunt, but every Family had received word beforehand. It was nothing more than a grand performance to crown me as the Valente heir's bride.

In all the Five Families, who could outshoot or outride me? But this time, I had no intention of winning.

I lifted my head and let out a regretful sigh. "I beg La Regina's pardon. My horse grew temperamental for reasons I cannot explain and threw me from the saddle. I injured my left shoulder and could not draw my bow with any force."

"But my elder sister's marksmanship was superb. I accept my defeat without reservation."

Augusta stood beside Aldric, tilting her delicate face up at him. "Are you not pleased that I brought down the white fox?"

Aldric smiled and took her hand. "Don't be silly. I'm delighted."

Lenora beckoned her attendant forward. "How did Camilla take such a fall? Go at once and see whether she's been hurt."

"If anything has happened to her, Don Falcone will hold me responsible for not looking after her properly."

Lenora's attendant helped me to my feet and led me away to be treated. She lifted the edge of my sleeve gently; my left shoulder was scraped raw and swollen red.

The attendant gasped. "What a terrible fall."

When the salve had been applied and I returned, the attendant gave Lenora a confirming nod. Lenora exhaled at last, but she was far from ready to let the matter rest. "Camilla is Don Falcone's trueborn daughter, unmatched in marksmanship and horsemanship. Today's loss came only because she was injured. The contest was hardly fair to her. Why not wait until she has recovered and hold a second match?"

The words had barely left her lips before Augusta's eyes turned red again. She bit her lower lip and looked to Aldric. "My sister is the Don's trueborn daughter. The title of the heir's bride was always meant to be hers."

"Does it even matter that I shot the fox? In the end, the position will go to Camilla regardless."

Tears rolled down her cheeks like pearls slipping from a broken string.

Her little speech had the opposite of its intended effect on the assembled women of the Families. Resentment rippled through the crowd. The selection was supposed to be fair. Why was Lenora so blatantly favoring me?

Discontented murmurs swelled. "This isn't right. Augusta was the one who made the kill."

"Exactly. Camilla got hurt. That's just how it goes. A loss is a loss."

Their reasoning was simple: losing to any other Family daughter would sting, but letting Augusta take the position was a different calculation entirely. An adopted daughter no one respected becoming the Valente heir's bride posed no real threat.

Aldric wiped Augusta's tears with a tender hand, clasped her fingers tightly, and stepped forward to face Lenora. "Mother, the rules of this selection were set well in advance. Every Family in the city knows them. Augusta brought down the white fox. She is the heir's bride."

"The Don's word is law. It cannot be undone."

"I care for Augusta, and I wish to take her as my wife."

Augusta flushed scarlet, her face tilted up toward Aldric. "I would gladly remain by your side, never to part."

Lenora Valente stared at Augusta, her expression darkening by the second.

She had schemed and plotted for the heir, engineering this match so Aldric would marry me as his principal wife, binding the Falcone family to him as his most powerful pillar of support. She never imagined an adopted daughter like Augusta would ruin everything.

The distinction between trueborn and adopted was easy enough to say aloud, but in practice, the gap was as wide as the sky.

The Falcone family would move heaven and earth for its trueborn daughter. An adopted girl of no real blood consequence? No one in the organization would lift a finger.

Unwilling to concede, Lenora spoke up, her face the picture of tender concern. "Camilla, you and my son have known each other since childhood. You were sweethearts. I know it pains you that your injury today cost you the proving kill."

"I understand the bond between you and Aldric. Fate can be so cruel. Though you were injured and could not claim the kill, I would like to name you his secondary wife. A contractual arrangement, formalized before the Commission. What do you say?"

She leaned close and lowered her voice. "Principal wife, secondary wife, what does it matter? It's all for show."

"Once you enter the Valente compound, I give you my word: the seat beside Aldric will be yours."

She gripped my hand, her lacquered nails digging into my flesh hard enough to leave marks.

Behind me, Aldric let out a scornful laugh. "Camilla, my mother is graciously offering you the position of secondary wife. In plain terms, yes, that makes you a contractual mistress. But you should understand: a mistress of the Valente household outranks any common family's principal wife by a wide margin."

"You would be bound to me, the heir of the Valente Syndicate."

Augusta spoke softly from his side. "Aldric, please don't say any more. You'll upset my sister. She was raised like a jewel in the palm of the Don's hand. How could she ever agree to be a mistress?"

"Perhaps I should give up the position of principal wife to her instead. As long as I can stay by your side, titles mean nothing to me." Her fingertips drifted to the base of her throat as she spoke.

Aldric drew her closer with a gentle arm around her shoulders and smiled. "Silly girl. The position of principal wife is rightfully yours. Why would you give it up? I told you, I will make you the most honored woman in the Valente compound."

Then he coaxed her away, murmuring, "The Commission edict naming you as my wife will reach the Falcone estate soon. Let me take you to see the alliance tribute first, and the gown. You can choose whichever you like."

With that, he led Augusta away under the gaze of every person present. Two of his bodyguards fell into step behind them without a word.

I lifted my chin and addressed Lenora, my voice ringing clear. "I ask you to withdraw the offer. Augusta and I both come from the Falcone household. Two daughters of the Falcone family cannot both marry into the Valente compound."

"I humbly ask your forgiveness."

The warmth drained from Lenora's eyes. She set her wine glass down on the table beside her without having taken a single sip.

What good was an adopted daughter of the Don's household? Making a girl like that the heir's wife was a joke.

When the gathering concluded, I walked toward the waiting Falcone car to return home, but Aldric blocked my path. His hand smoothed the front of his tie once, then again.

"Camilla, I know the title of secondary wife stings your pride. But you should count yourself fortunate."

"Augusta put in every good word she could for you. She said that once she enters the compound, she would let you manage the household. She's too gentle and soft for it, not decisive the way you are."

"I will give her the title of my wife and nothing more. The real power will be yours."

"You are the trueborn daughter of Don Falcone, groomed from birth for exactly this. I trust no one more than you to run the Valente household."

"There is just one condition. If you agree, Augusta says she will allow you to bear children after you join the household."

I tried to wrench my hand free, but his grip held. I kept my composure and said evenly, "I have no intention of marrying into the Valente family, Aldric."

Irritation flashed across his face, coloring it with barely concealed anger. "Enough. I know you're upset. But I said there is one condition. Agree to it, and three days after the formal union ceremony, I will come for you."

"Augusta is adopted. Her dowry is modest. It would be humiliating for her to enter the Valente compound with so little."

"You are trueborn. Simply transfer your dowry into her name so she can be carried through the gates in proper splendor, and I will see to it that you become my secondary wife without a hitch."

I stared at her. "The heir's wife wants me to what? Transfer my dowry into Augusta's name?"

The audacity of this woman.

Augusta trailed behind Lenora, her voice small and trembling. "Sister, I may only be an adopted daughter, but I'm still a daughter of the Falcone family. I'm about to become the Valente heir's wife. I simply don't want to bring shame upon our family's name."

Aldric tenderly wiped her tears, then turned to me with a mocking look. "I'll have my consigliere deliver my personal orders to the Falcone compound. They are to treat the future bride of the Valente heir with the respect she deserves and prepare a proper tribute for her."

By the time Augusta returned to the Falcone compound, Aldric's consigliere had already arrived and delivered the message.

The moment Augusta stepped through the door, she dropped to her knees before my mother, the picture of pitiful innocence. "Mother, the heir took pity on me for my humble birth and suggested the family prepare a proper alliance tribute. He said Camilla could lend me her dowry first, so I'd have something respectable when I enter the Valente compound."

"Camilla will only be a contractual mistress. No one will care how large her dowry is. Once we're both in the heir's household, what's mine and what's hers will be one and the same."

"After all, I may be adopted, but I'm still Father's daughter. Surely he wouldn't want the other families mocking the Falcone name for treating his daughters unequally?"

Her eyes glittered with calculation. My mother regarded her with quiet disappointment, then finally spoke. "Enough. Go and rest. Focus on your wedding preparations."

Augusta rose, a satisfied smile playing on her lips as she swept out of the room.

My mother took my hand. "Camilla, do you truly intend to become the heir's contractual mistress?"

I shook my head. "Don't worry, Mother. I will never marry Aldric Valente. I wouldn't even want to be his principal wife, let alone his mistress."

"I've already refused Lenora's offer, but I doubt she'll give up so easily."

My father's expression turned grave. He clasped his hands behind his back and stood at the window, looking out over the compound's courtyard where two of his soldiers stood smoking by the gate. "The Falcone family cannot be dragged into the Valente succession struggle. The only way to extricate ourselves is to marry you to someone else before the Commission can issue an edict."

"If Augusta wants to marry into the Valente household, let her. When the time comes, our family will have its own answer."

On the day of the union ceremony, black cars lined the street outside the Falcone compound and the front of the estate had been dressed in white flowers and silver ribbon. When Aldric arrived and spotted me standing off to the side, he smiled. "Camilla, three days from now, I'll petition Don Hadrian for an edict naming you my secondary wife. Behave yourself, and I'll give you a ceremony too."

Then his gaze drifted toward Augusta's wing, where forty-eight cases of alliance tribute stood in neat rows. His expression darkened. "Is the Falcone family trying to humiliate me?"

"My bride, and she brings only forty-eight cases? This is an insult."

My father stepped forward. The courtyard went quiet. Even the catering staff stopped moving. When a Don speaks at a gathering witnessed by all Five Families, the words carry the weight of a Commission declaration.

"Forgive the offense, Your Highness, but Augusta is not my biological daughter. Forty-eight cases for a girl I raised out of kindness is more than generous."