Austin returned to the room late at night. He had expected her to have fallen asleep so he opened the door quietly, but Alina was awake, sitting in a chair near the fire.

One glance at him was enough to tell her how he had spent his evening. He looked exhausted and mentally drained.

"The meeting?" she asked.

"Had to argue about everything," he replied.

He walked over and sat on the bed beside her. Alina immediately held his hand.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"No."

Austin leaned back against the headboard and took a deep breath.

"I want one hour where nobody talks about diplomacy or negotiation."

"Done," she smiled and picked up one of the poetry books, he had given her earlier, from the side table.

Austin watched her turning the pages, then closed his eyes.

"What are you reading?" he murmured.

"I haven’t decided yet."

"Choose something tragic. It suits my mood tonight."

"You’re saying that now, but you’ll complain about it later," she laughed. "This one."

She then began to read. It was a poem about two lovers surviving a shipwreck. As she read, the room seemed to grow quieter around them.

Austin’s breathing deepened but his thumb kept drawing patterns on her hand.

Time passed and Alina finally reached the final stanza.

When the tide erases every path back home,

my hand will still search for yours.

When the sky forgets how to hold its stars,

I will still recognize you in the dark.

"You stopped," he whispered.

"I finished."

"Disappointing."

Alina smiled faintly and set the book aside. Then she rested her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes as well. Eventually, sleep claimed them both.

The next morning, when Alina woke up she saw Austin already gone. A flicker of disappointment flashed on her face until she noticed a folded note beside her pillow. She sat up quickly and opened it.

Proper courtship apparently requires breakfast.

Meet me in the main garden.

Austin

A wide smile immediately spread across her face. She got out of the bed and literally flew to her room to get dressed.

She was glowing when she stepped out of the room. But the moment servants and guards noticed her, the atmosphere changed again. Almost everyone greeted her with either "My Lady" or "Princess."

Just weeks ago, most of these people had hardly looked at her unless they were gossiping about her. And now they bowed their heads and stepped aside for her in the corridors. The sudden change made her feel less like Alina and more like a precious new ornament on display.

Some smiles seemed genuine but most of them were bitter. Alina didn’t want to ruin her mood, so she pushed the unease aside and rushed to the garden.

A small breakfast table had been arranged near the fountain, under the flowering vines. Austin stood up the moment he saw her, his face lighting up with the biggest smile.

"You came."

"Why would I not? You invited me."

He laughed and pulled out the chair for her.

"You remembered," she said, seeing a small bowl of strawberries beside her plate.

"Didn’t I say I remember everything about you?" he replied.

Normally their conversations were interrupted by politics or emergencies but this morning they talked about ridiculous, ordinary things instead. They talked about each other’s favourite foods, childhood habits, the worst books they had ever read. For a little while, they looked like a normal couple.

But that normalcy didn’t last long and shattered the moment they entered his study. Maren was already there, standing near the maps with her arms crossed. Dorian lounged in one of the chairs like he had been born there.

"Good morning," Dorian greeted cheerfully.

But no one replied. Maren, sensing the tension, began the conversation.

"Let’s begin."

Dorian spread several documents on the desk before speaking.

"I spent most of the night organizing what little advantage we currently have."

"You mean besides your charming personality," Maren joked.

"I consider that my greatest weapon," he replied.

"Sadly, no one here does," Austin said.

Dorian still continued without taking any offense.

"First of all, we need to establish contact with Arcasedia before the official court hears rumours through the diplomatic channels."

"Why do I feel you already have someone in mind?" Austin asked.

"I do," he nodded. "Her name is Laura Vale. She was the former lady-in-waiting to Princess Isadora."

Alina stiffened.

"My mother’s lady-in-waiting?" she asked.

Dorian nodded.

"She is one of the few people who remained loyal to your mother even after she was disowned. But she disappeared years ago and now lives under a new name near the eastern border."

"And she trusts you?" Maren asked.

"Somewhat," he replied.

"How did you even find her?" Austin asked, a little suspicious.

"I have my contacts," he winked.

"What would she want in return?" Alina asked.

"Nothing."

Maren frowned.

"Nobody wants nothing," she said.

"I used to think like that too," Dorian said. "But apparently Princess Isadora once saved her brother’s life, and she has felt indebted to her ever since."

"And what’s your plan?" Austin asked.

"We need to gather every piece of evidence proving Alina is Princess Isadora’s daughter and send it to Arcasedia," Dorian explained.

"And then?" Maren asked.

"We will wait for their response."

"I hate waiting, especially when we already have a deadline looming over us," Austin almost growled.

"I understand," Dorian replied. "But unfortunately, kingdoms move slower than you do."

"How are we supposed to contact Laura?" Alina asked, changing the topic quickly. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"I already sent her the word."

The room went still. Maren’s eyes narrowed immediately.

"Without discussing it with us?"

"She needed time to travel."

"You acted before we agreed to anything," Austin snapped as he glared at him.

"If I had waited for your approval, you would still be debating whether to trust me while the deadline closed in," he replied meeting his gaze. "Laura should arrive within a week. Until then, we can prepare."