“Nina, you can’t steal a crown!” Ettie is aghast.

“Why not?”

“Because they’ll notice.”

I go to the largest tiara, with blue and white stones, and I pick it up.

“Nina, we can’t!”

“Are you stealing from me again?” asks an amused voice.

I freeze. “These belong to your parents,” I say carefully, “so technically I’m stealing from them.” I turn slowly to find the prince behind us, relieved to see that he is alone.

“I can’t let you take that,” he says.

I feel my temper fraying; I’m running out of time. “This is just another piece of jewelry to your family, but it means everything in the whole world to me, because with it I might be able to keep Ettie alive.”

He shakes his head.

“Give it to me,” he says.

“Take it then, Votre Altesse.” I thrust the tiara at him. “But know this: If anything happens to Ettie, I’ll come for you. No matter where you are, I’ll find you. Nothing will keep you safe from me. Not the high walls of your palace, the number of your guards, or the riches of your parents. I’m the Black Cat of the Thieves Guild. There’s nowhere I can’t enter. I’ll come for you in the night, and I’ll cut out your tongue so you can’t cry for help. I’ll cut you open so you bleed slowly, and I’ll leave you to die just as you lived—all alone in your beautiful golden palace.”

I’m trembling as I finish, the words of my oath heavy on my tongue. Ettie is behind me. I can practically feel her cowering.

The prince’s eyes never leave my face. He doesn’t seem frightened or upset. He looks thoughtful.

He takes the tiara gently from my hand and looks at it appraisingly. He walks past me and goes to put it back.

I close my eyes; so be it. I can knock him out and take the tiara. I’m sure he won’t fight me, not the way I fight. I ready myself, dagger in hand, just in case, but when he turns around, he’s holding another tiara. An older one with even bigger stones, all pure white and glimmering.

“Take this one,” he says. “It belonged to Margaret de Valois. It’s worth far more than the other, and Mother hates it. She might not even miss it.”

I stare. Ettie sobs and throws her arms around him. He seems bemused but lets her hug him and blushes when she kisses his cheek. Then he notices the dagger in my hand.

“Were you going to stab me?”

“Maybe,” I say quietly, putting the dagger away.

I take the tiara and pry Ettie from him.

“We have to leave. We must find Corday and the others. They’re our best chance of getting out of the palace.”

“I’ve organized a carriage,” the prince says awkwardly.

I nod.

“I’d have given you the tiara even if you hadn’t threatened me,” he says.

If I knew how to apologize, I might do so. But words of regret don’t come easily to my lips. Instead, I say in a shaking voice, “Don’t drink anything she gives you. Ever. Promise me.”