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“So,” I said, “that’s a hell of a magic ring you’ve got.”

She nodded cautiously.

“It’s what makes you the most beautiful instead of just beautiful, right?” I asked.

“Yup.”

“I don’t suppose you’d care to explain?”

She paused for a moment before she spoke. “I guess you already know the important part. It’s a big family secret, so don’t go spreading it around, all right?”

“Of course.”

“It’s an heirloom of the royal family of Moersbad. The oldest female child gets it when she comes of age. A sacred charge.” Ilyana said the words as if they left a bad taste in her mouth. “She’s supposed to tell no one about it, and use it to find a fairy-gifted husband. With her magically amplified beauty or grace or whatever. Whoever she marries becomes the king, or I guess the regional administrator now that we’re a province. Then that guy gets given the ring as a surprise during the wedding ceremony. So he can wield its power to rule.”

I swallowed down a lump of half-burned dead monster. “Wow. That’s…”

“A big pile of foaming sexist bloodclots? Yeah. Anyway, once their oldest daughter grows up, it gets passed down to begin the whole ducked-up cycle of misogyny anew.”

“Who came up with that system?”

“No one knows. It’s been this way for hundreds of years. Anyway, not a single soul outside the family can ever be told, for only those whose hearts are not driven by greed can marry into the line, yadda yadda yadda.”

“You told me about it,” I pointed out. “You even lent it to me.”

“Yeah, well.” She poked at the fire with the sword, not meeting my eyes. “I kind of figured that not getting munched to death by the genius’s mother was more important than some nib-shaving secrecy pact.”

“I’m glad you did.” Because of the ring, I’d neither been eaten nor died in my sleep. Two fates I was very pleased to have avoided. Although we’d hardly made it to safety.

The Swamp of Monsters looked much the same in every direction, an endless expanse of rustling green leaves and glinting water. I couldn’t even tell which way we’d come from.

“I don’t suppose you have any idea where we are?” I asked.

“Nope. I’m completely lost. You?”

“Same.”

Clearly, my sisters hadn’t tracked us down. And there was little chance we’d be able to find our way back to them without knowing what course we’d taken in the night and how far we’d run. I wondered if they were still waiting for us, or if they’d given up and were trying to make their way out of the swamp on their own.

I hoped they were all right; the swamp held many hazards. At least my sisters were well armed and well prepared. And if they ran into anything that couldn’t be swallowed whole or stopped with a sneeze, then Jinjur would probably punch it in the face. Frankly, with the map in their hands, they stood a better chance of escaping the swamp than we did.

We would have to face whatever was coming without them. I glanced around, but no immediate dangers presented themselves. Birds chirped in the branches, calling out to attract new springtime partners.

Ilyana and I sat there silently munching on crocodaemon for a while. I gave my improved control of the fairy gift a quick test, allowing a single yellow iris to bloom at my feet. It unfurled its petals proudly, joyous at being chosen.

“Pretty,” Ilyana commented.

“I do love flowers. When they’re not trying to kill me.”

She frowned in puzzlement, her downturned lips darkening from pink to reddish brown, then lightening again. “What do you mean, kill you?”

“Another fairy gift problem.” I briefly explained how precarious my situation had been until she’d given me the ring. “Which means you ended up saving my life in another way,” I finished, “without even meaning to. So, um, thanks.” I plucked the iris and offered it to her as a completely inadequate show of gratitude.

Ilyana tossed my sword into the grass and took the flower. She studied the iris for a little while, gazing at its golden petals with their delicate purple veins, before turning to face me. I waited for her to say something, but instead she leaned forward and kissed me.

After a moment of surprise, I kissed her back. My hands slid around her waist. I held her while her torso contracted and expanded, stretched and shrank.

“What was that for?” I asked when we finally drew apart.