It was close to midnight when the Duke emerged from the other side of the castle. His breath smelled of whiskey, but he wasn't stuporous, and his words were as clear as they had been on the deck.

"I beg your mercy for that," he said, appearing beside the orchestra. "How has your evening faired?"

I tried not to notice all the eyes on us. "Oh, it's been fair," I said. Suddenly, I was at a loss for words. "How is His Highness?" I asked, quieter.

"He's well," he noted. "He wished for me to extend his good night. Your father went with him upstairs."

"Oh."

Askar and I paused.

"I'm sorry you had to do that," I said.

"Think nothing of it," he returned. "It gave me a chance to inform him of my declaration."

"Oh?" I flashed a grin, then felt silly for it. "I don't know why I'm so unsteady."

"Shall I fetch you a glass of wine, or would you like to dance?" he asked.

"Already?" I cursed under my breath.

"We don't have to dance," he worried.

"No, I... I'm sorry, As– Your Grace," I said. "I'm just... It's odd being courted again is all."

"Then it is strange for us both," he decided. He offered me his hand. "Now. Where were we?"

Askar twirled me into a waltz. The Empire's Waltz.

"Were you entertained while I was gone?" he asked. He was stiff on its form, but I didn't correct him. "Which one of these men must I duel for your heart?"

I rolled my eyes. "Let's see," I started. "You could fight Lord Harringway." I gestured to him.

"The man with the muttonchops?" he whispered.

"Yes, and the gray hair," I explained.

"Do you fancy him?" he asked.

"No." I met his eyes; his glittered with a laugh. "He's a widower; his seven children are here somewhere."

"Seven is a lot," he stated. "How many do you wish to have?"

I stammered a bit. "I-I haven't given it much thought."

"No?" he asked. He added to it lower. "Not even with recent events?"

"Well, I?" I frowned. "I'm not sure. Not seven."

"I'll accept that answer," he said. We twirled another round. "I am an only child, as you know. Four cousins, but the most I've seen is a farmer near Blythe. He has nine."

"Definitely not nine," I declared.

"Then ten?" he asked.

"What?" I gripped his hand tighter.

He chuckled. "Oh, you meant to go the other direction? Of course. What about three?"

"Three?" I asked. "I'm one of three."

"Yes, and how do you like that?" he asked.

"It's horrible," I said.

"Horrible?" he returned.

"I mean," I sort of laughed. "I love my family; I love my brothers. I do, but three is an odd number, and as the only lady, I often felt left out when they were swinging their swords and sparring."

"You sparred, too, I thought?" he checked.

"Well," I noted. "Yes, but... in a different capacity. Everyone is careful with the Princess, even my brothers. Though Will, on occasion, may be a bit brutal with his comments, he'd never hurt me with a sword."

"Perhaps they felt left out when you did lady things?" he asked.

"Oh, but of course," I argued. "Because embroidery, and pianoforte, and painting is– Well, perhaps the painting?" Askar was watching me. "Not to redirect you, but are you certain Will is alright? He never drinks," I told him. "And he is very... collected. I am concerned he showed that side of himself to someone outside of... Well, of me. I would appreciate your discretion moving forward. He's sensitive. Don't mention the night to him again unless he brings it up, and if he does, don't make it into a mountain."

"A mountain, Your Highness?"

"Sorry, it's a saying—a mountain out of a molehill. Don't let him know it matters," I said.

"At a certain point, the Prince called me Rosie, so if it helps, I do believe that he might have thought you were still in the room or had returned, and I had gone."

"God," I moaned. "That's unfortunate. Did something happen to him? Or was he feeling melancholy? Sometimes he is like that."

"I'm not bothered by your brother's mood," he told me. "We all have our days."

"Thank you," I gave him.

"Don't thank me," he said. "Should my efforts succeed, I should call him my brother one day."

That brought my eyes to full shape and a gasp from my lungs. "I–"

The room disappeared; Askar and I were the only people in it... The only people in the world.

"Do you mean that?" I asked.

"Of course I mean it," he said. "I said it, didn't I?"

I gave him a quick nod. Askar missed a step, but we moved past it, and neither of us cared while everyone else appeared around our confidence, raising their arms into the air. They came down, and I was still mulling over his words.

"Promise me something," I whispered.

"Anything," he said. "The world, if you askt."

"I-If I get to be too much, give me a chance to... to rein it in," I said.

"I will not promise that," he said.

"I need you to–"

"No," he frowned. "If I ever tell you that you are too much, I have gone mad, and I must ask that you put me out of my misery."

"Out of your misery? How?" I croaked.

"I'm sure someone might have an idea. Ser Elías seems like he could do some damage," he said.

"You mean– You want me to have you... murdered?" I cried.

"A mercy killing, love," he said. He found me with a hint of a smile.

"Oh, you're teasing me," I sang. "I see how it is."

"One day," he spun me into another dip, then back to cross the floor. "You will have to give me this man's name so that I may introduce myself."

I shook my head. "What man?"

"The man who broke your heart," he said.

I grinned reluctantly. "I do have a question," I whispered. "I..."

The music drooped to end the verse, and then we had to part from each other. He waited for my curtsy.

"What's your question, love?" he asked.

"I'm just...."

For some hidden reason, I felt nervous to ask about his blade. The window was wide open, but I couldn't bear it. I didn't want to process any definition that he might present. I just wanted to go to sleep. I half wondered if I was already in a dream.

"It's a confession," I lied instead, diverting from the chance. "And I feel silly saying this, but... If your feelings change by the morning, just know that... Well, thank you for coming here tonight. You've... Well, you've made me very happy just to see you again."

Askar bowed, but then someone else arrived at my side to redeem their dance. I preferred to decline or to escape with the Duke to some dark corner or forgotten chamber of my home, but my father had been right. There were more eyes on me than I had ever felt before, and everyone was talking. Not just to me... but of him, as well.

Before the end of the night, I had to dance with three other lords, all varying in age and rank. None of them compared to the Duke, and I wasn't alone in that revelation. I watched a swarm of ladies stalk around Askar and for a long time. He was an obvious star among the other men, and women moved in and out of his orbit all night. I damned society and its limitations on the number of times a girl could dance with the same man and then blessed it in the same breath when I realized they would be confined by that rule, as well.

But Askar didn't dance with anyone else.

When the guests started to trickle away, I had the chance to see him off with my parents in tow. He had started to tell them where he'd be staying, but then Ser Elías arrived to escort me to my room, and his stately presence severed the conversation in two.

"Give me a minute, please?" I tried.

He looked at the lot of us and then, slowly, seemed to read the request. My father was still talking.

"--But you'll find yourself at the Hunt later this week?" he asked.

Both he and my Duke stole a glance at me like I was the subject of some undertext they thought I should know. I narrowed my eyes.

Askar paused. "...If you give me a time and place, I will be there, Your Majesty."

"It's a two-day ride from the Riverlands," my mother said. She was testing him. "Not the best turnaround, Your Grace."

"I can manage," Ask said. "I am very happy to be invited, ma'am."

Elías joined in. "If you're any good with a bow, you can lead the charge with me. Unless you're not. In which case, I'm sure His Majesty would like company somewhere, likely in the back?"

The King scoffed. "Don't slander my skill set, Ser. I don't participate out of respect for my wife, not an inability."

"So you say," Eli returned. "Though King Azarii would protest that lie."

"Sam knows nothing of my skills," Father said.

"Precisely."

Dad held something back, opting for, "Easy to boast when you don't have to prove it, then, Lord Commander?"

"My Sword," My mother sang. "Don't tease him, so."

"He started it," Father said.

"And I've ended it," she said. She readdressed the Duke. "If you're certain, Your Grace, I'll have the address given to your Sword."

Ask looked at me; I mouthed the word knight.

"I am certain," he replied. "Thank you for the warm reception, Your Majesty."

He found me for a final time, nodded, smiled at my weirdly slow curtsy, and then he left.

"...What?" I worried, biting my lip.

Mother's brows rose, but she only said, "I didn't say anything."

"Alright... Well. Good night then."

She bobbed her head.

"What?" I asked.

"Rosie," Daddy said.

I swept my hand at her. "She's... She's looking at me!"

"I'm your mother; I often look at you," she sang.

"Yes, but..." I shifted on my heels. "What's wrong with him?" I asked.

That made her laugh and me scowl, and I stomped my foot.

"Nothing, Eliza," she said. She glanced at the other two. "He seems very polite."

I frowned harder. "Polite?" I asked.

"It's a good thing, Rosie," Father said.

I sighed, easing my guard and dismissing it. "Fine. Well. Good night."

"Good night, dear," she said.

When I laid down, I was irrevocably awake.

It was cold. I was alone. And I felt absolutely wrecked by the whole evening. I was angry because I had chickened out over the one question my father told me to ask. That I had to stew and wonder, and specifically wonder what 'rite' I had missed with the Duke. Worse, I had no one to blame but myself.

And my father.

And his meddling.

And his awful, loyal, wonderful meddling.

I found myself grinning in the dark like the village idiot, but I was shaking from the idea that the Duke had even come to the ball.

That he had so willingly agreed to the second event, that he had declared his intentions to me, that he... he had told me wanted to marry me.

"Marry me," I dared to say. "Oh, my God. he likes me!"