"Dorian."

He smiled as he walked toward them.

"The duke and his bed warmer," he said, stopping in front of them. "Holding hands in public. How romantic."

Austin’s expression turned colder immediately.

"Dorian."

"Your Grace," he said.

Then his eyes moved to Alina.

"And Miss Ashworth. What a performer you are," he said with amusement. "How convincingly you acted like a woman who just discovered that the man she had feelings for had been hiding her true identity from her."

Alina didn’t react. But Austin took a step forward towards him. Alina immediately squeezed his arm gently, holding him back.

"Anyway, let’s get to the point," Dorian shrugged. "I’m here to help you but whether you accept it is up to you."

Austin and Alina exchanged a look. They had already discussed Dorian but hadn’t expected him to offer help himself.

"But perhaps we should continue this conversation somewhere more private," Dorian said, looking around the castle.

"What happened to your alliance with Audrey?" Austin asked.

Dorian laughed bitterly.

"I supported her because we had the same goal and thought she would win but I was wrong."

Austin scoffed.

"You expect us to believe that?"

"No," he replied. "But you can at least hear me out."

"And why should we believe anything you say after your support to Audrey?"

"Because you have no other option," Dorian replied. "You can either try the official diplomatic channels and wait for approvals that will never come or you can work with me. Moreover, I’m not asking you to trust me. I’m asking you to use me."

"Austin, let’s go inside," Alina said.

He nodded.

"The study," he said.

Maren was already there when the three of them stepped inside. Dorian immediately sat without anyone asking him to. Austin and Alina took their seats while Maren kept standing.

"I have contacts in Arcasedia," Dorian said without wasting time. "They can open doors for you that have been closed for decades."

"And why would you help us?" Austin asked coldly.

"Because I want something in return," he replied sheepishly. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Of course you do."

"Don’t pretend you’re surprised, Austin. Everyone wants something," he said. "If I help Alina get Arcasedian recognition, I’ll want her to have alliances with Astoria with Arcasedia that have been severed years ago."

Alina shrugged.

"And what exactly makes you think Arcasedia would welcome me if I present myself there through manipulation?" Alina asked calmly. "If I ever stand before their court as their princess, I won’t arrive as someone’s political puppet."

"No matter how morally right you sound, the fact is you’ve no other option," Dorian repeated.

He was right. Right now, there priority was to make any kind of contact with Arcasedia and they knew only Dorian could help them.

Austin looked at Alina.

Can we trust him?

She looked back.

Do we have a choice?

Austin then nodded reluctantly.

"We’ll give you a chance," Alina said. "But first we’ll hear your plan, talk to your contacts personally and then make a decision."

"Fair enough," he replied after thinking for a while. "Let’s meet again after I prepare my proposal."

He stood up.

"I’m tired." He spread his arms dramatically. "I’ll be in my rooms then."

Then he left.

"He might be lying," Maren said, the moment he stepped out. "He might be playing a game with us."

"We will verify the contacts before we commit to anything, and we will build contingencies in case the plan goes wrong," Austin replied.

Alina nodded.

"We don’t have to decide everything tonight ," Alina said. "He’s here. We can take our time."

"He’ll get impatient," Maren reminded them.

"Let him be," Alina said. "He came to us. Remember that."

"When did you become the strategist?" Austin asked as he looked at her.

"I’ve always been the strategist. You were just too busy to notice."

Maren smiled.

"I’m going to check on his entourage," she said and left as well.

"I hate this," Austin said frustrated. "I hate needing him. I hate that he’s right about our options being limited. I hate that he’s sitting in my castle, offering help I can’t refuse."

She reached across the desk and took his hand.

"I know," she said. "He looks at everyone as a chessboard waiting to be played."

"We cannot catch a break even for a day," Austin said, frustrated.

"But we cannot let this consume us. We promised each other we would court properly. That we would steal moments for ourselves amid the chaos."

"You are right," he said.

He stood up from his seat and walked to her. She too stood up from her seat and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. His hands immediately went to her waist.

"Tell me what does proper courtship involve?" he asked.

Alina pretended to think about it seriously.

"Well... I believe it begins with the gentleman kissing the woman he intends to marry."

His hands tightened at her waist.

"It’s a dangerous tradition."

"Yes," she whispered. "A very dangerous tradition."

Alina rose onto her toes, the soft rustle of her gown suddenly sounded very loud in the quiet room. Austin’s hands slid lower on her back as he pulled her closer against him.

The moment her lips touched his he caught her lower lip gently between his, drawing a quiet sound from her throat.

"Proper courtship," Alina breathed against his mouth, "requires..."

She couldn’t finish as the kiss turned deeper. Alina opened for her mouth immediately, the taste of tea and honey on her tongue made his head spin. One of his hands moved to her jaw, tilting her face as he kissed her harder, feeling her pulse racing under his thumb.

The buttons of his waistcoat pressed against her bodice as Alina leaned closer. Even through layers of fabric, he could feel the warmth of her body on his chest.

At first her kisses were a little hesitant, but soon they turned bolder. When Alina bit his lower lip, a sharp pulse of heat ran through him.

"Alina," Austin groaned against her mouth.

Alina gasped quietly and moved even closer, the friction between them suddenly became unbearable.

"More," Alina whispered, pulling him down towards her again.

Her lips brushed his jaw, then his throat. Austin tilted his head back slightly as Alina kissed along his neck, exploring him slowly through soft kisses and gentle bites.

By the time she returned to his mouth, the kiss became more desperate and hungry. That kind of kiss belonged behind locked doors, not in a study.

His hands held her wrists behind her back as he kissed her deeper, until both of them were breathless but still unwilling to pull away.

When Austin finally pulled back, Alina’s lips were swollen from kissing, her cheeks were flushed pink and a loose strand of hair clung to her face. Austin brushed it away before kissing her again, slower this time.

"Proper courtship," Alina said weakly. "Seems to involve a lot of improvisation."

Austin laughed as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Wait until I show you what comes after the kissing."