“Won’t you join me, lovely lady?” Prince Raphael said with an elegant wave.

“No.”

Looking from the dining hall’s gilded ceiling to the luxurious rug, Estelle pointedly refused to make eye contact with her host. The prince chuckled. Scrumptious tea cakes, chocolates, and mounds of fruit covered the grand table. Her traitorous stomach rumbled. She had eaten since breakfast yesterday right before she had been dragged to the dungeons.

“Don’t you wish to eat little rebel?”

“No,” Estelle snapped.

The prince surveyed his captive’s frail beauty over his wine glass. Her stomach rumbled loudly.

Impatiently Raphael waved his hand. Golden light sprang from his fingertips and surrounded Estelle dragging her to a dining chair. After an half hearted struggle Estelle slumped in resignation. With a raised eyebrow the prince magically piled sweets before her.

“Won’t you say anything more to your lord and master than, ‘no?’” Raphael asked with big sad puppy dog eyes.

Mischief flashing in her eyes, Estelle reached for a slice of endicott.

“No,” Estelle replied.

Raphael watched her nibble delicately and ignore him blatantly. He chuckled into his wineglass.

“You imagine that I am some kind of monster. That I thrive on crushing the proletariat beneath my magical heels. You are wrong, fair lady. I want change too. I’ve pleaded with the queen mother. Argued with the Magicks. Change can’t happen over night. Do you believe me? Don’t you see your protests for the unenchanted only make things worse? Can I beg you for patience, pretty rebel?”

With a mouthful of gamer berry tart, Estelle mumbled, “no, no, and no.”

Raphael pounded his fist on the table. His magic ricocheted around the grand salon. Estelle paled and Raphael hated himself. Why won’t people be reasonable? He wanted her to understand that he wasn’t like the others of his class. He’d visited the missions and handed out bread loaves. Prince Raphael welcomed tolerance of the unenchanted. His reign after the death of his mother would usher in reform. He glanced over at his prisoner. Her eyes were downcast out of respect. Estelle refused to show him fear.

“If this were a fairytale you could convince me with your cleverness to free my subjects without magic. I would be charmed and overturn this oppressive system just to make you my queen,” Raphael said raising his hand and squeezing it into a fist. “But this is not a fairytale young lady.”

His appetite gone, Prince Raphael pushed away from the table. He made a note to donate the desserts to the orphanage to show his people the kindness of his heart.