"You shouldn't have let her speak to you like that, Ganechka." Trist said for the millionth time from in front of me as we neared the city and the lunch with the Debutantes.

"It was her right, and it's now my job to sort their concerns." I answered for the millionth time and we continued on. "Trist?" I called, the thought of setting things right brought up Evangeline's maid in my mind. "What did you do with those sweets?"

"I still have them. You want them?"

"Yes please."

We trotted on still in silence until we got back to the stables. We put our horses back in ourselves and Tristan passed me the crumpled paper bag.

"Door at the corridor to your mother's, fifteen minutes." He shook my hand and left me.

I went away in the opposite direction towards my rooms at a quick pace and conveniently bumped into a maid on the way.

"Fetch... I don't know her name, whichever maid is working for Lady Evangeline Bence please. Send her to my room and be quick about it." I smiled in thanks as she shot off.

I put my free hand in my pocket as I ambled back to my quarters, absentmindedly admiring the portraits of the animals in my family. I smiled at the one of Ib, Saffron and Ranger (my other hunting dog who came with me and died at the front lines). Barley came out into the corridor and pulled me into my rooms.

"You're late." He hissed, helping me to change into my afternoon clothes.

"I had business in Definis. I am waiting to discuss important matters with a maid now, so you can go and find my brother, tell him to see me this afternoon."

Barley glared at me but I stared him down, not in the mood to humour him today. My valet moved out of the room through the servants corridor.

There was a knock on the servants' door not two minutes later and I called for her to come in, sat on my window seat. I studied the girl as she came in, she was a frail little thing, I think one of the ones we employed only for the purposes of the season. And she was indeed the one who I had knocked over.

"Your Highness?" She dropped a deep curtsey and I walked over, relatively uncertain on how to act. Commoners I got, but the servants I couldn't figure out how to act around.

"What is your name?" I asked as she rose.

"Jemima, your Highness." Her eyes stayed firmly on the floor.

I nodded. "Well Jemima. Know that I am deeply sorry for knocking you over and paying you no heed the other day, and accept these sweets as a token of my apology."

She looked up at me like she didn't believe me.

"Also would you take your mistress to the third door left of the servants' access to the ballroom after dinner tonight please? She is expected."

The maid nodded and left again when I dismissed her.

I raced down the corridor's towards mother's drawing room. Tristan met me with a glare at the door.

"You really take your time don't you?"

"I'm here now." I rolled my eyes and extended my hand. "Good luck." I murmured and he shook my hand.

I nodded to the butler and he knocked on the doors, announcing us as they opened.

The living drapings of muted silks and painted cottons leaned forward as we walked in. Tristan bowed to mother as I kissed her hand and he sat down by the bookshelf near her as I greeted Mother's ladies in waiting. Evangeline, Angel, Serena and Holly were gathered near her and her ladies in waiting. Evie's face was strained as she looked across to me with them.

"Do join us for luncheon, Gavrila." Mother gestured to the two butlers who set trays down before the table which I joined Tristan at. I hated it when mother was entertaining, her voice was different.

"Thank you, mother. Do carry on your conversations, ladies." I gave a smile to the crowd and turned back to Tristan, who was smirking over a cheese sandwich.

He faked a pout, clearly mocking me, "Poor little Gavrila, having to face the scary Debutantes over lunch." He crooned.

I rolled my eyes and took a plain scone from the nearby tray. To my great dismay, mother was leading two girls over for me to entertain; Serena Jeffords and Annabelle Crawley.

"Gavrila, have you met Lady Crawley yet? Lady Jeffords I know you danced with a few times at the ball last night."

"And still a good few times too less, you disappeared too soon, your Highness!" Serena sang in her elegant voice, I decided not to indulge in her thin threats.

Instead I turned my eyes to Annabelle Crawley, who I hadn't properly met yet. "My, Lady Crawley, what a fine dress that is." I smiled warmly at the young girl. She must be the youngest here actually, her skin was like porcelain, her hair a dark blonde and she wore a light blue dress painted with bluebirds.

Annabelle dimpled at my compliment and held out a corner of the dress. "I'm rather fond of it."

"Do sit down." I smiled at both of them and sat down myself to realise that Tristan had disappeared off by the bookshelf, Eloise Farthing and Holly Reichen near him. I turned back to Serena, who was sour but covered it up when I looked.

"And my apologies I had to leave so early last night, Lady Jeffords, there were some papers my father needed me to look over."

Serena nodded as though satisfied that I didn't openly reproach her.

After spending long enough with the two ladies mother had forced on me, I stood and made my way over to the window, not too far away from Evie, who was too engrossed in a book for me to disturb her, it wasn't either of the two I had given her last night but I figured she would be chastised for reading them as a lady. Cecily Affer and Elena Frost came up to the window too so I struck up a conversation with them too to pass the time before I could escape.

"Are you enjoying the palace, Lady Affer?" I asked, inclining my head towards Cecily, the prettier of the two.

"Oh indeed." She said back, fanning herself daintily. "The architecture is quite spectacular. Who designed it?" She smiled across at me, turning fully to face me. Lady Frost did so too and I saw in her eyes a good resemblance of her name.

"My great great grandmother actually, she designed the newer parts which we are currently in at present, with the help of Charles Goerth, your quarters in the older parts of the palace were designed long ago."

Cecily nodded, clearly interested, and rested her hands on the high window sill. "To know that that was done by a woman." She smiled, looking out across the gardens. "Why did they rebuild it? Why not keep the old palace?"

"Security mostly." I leaned against the sill so I could face her, the light hitting her face nicely. "The older the palace the more vulnerable it is, these new quarters are practically impenetrable. I'll show you the blueprints Grandma Jane wrote up if you wish one day, the younger Prince keeps them in his room."

"That would be-" Cecily was cut off as Elena stepped forward, dragging herself back into the conversation.

"Your Highness, when might we expect the other inductees to arrive? I saw some young men at the ball but none since."

I pushed myself up off of the window sill to stand taller than her, mildly amused. "Oh, my lady Frost, did you not notice that there is a war on at present? The only young men worthy of my company in the season are those who would forfeit it to fight for their king." Elena shrank back a little bit. Cecily tried to hide her smile by fussing with her fan. I continued diligently to finish her off. "Are Lord Turner and I not worthy husbands of you? Strange, I have been told that I have certain qualities to be found quite amicable." Cecily had to cover her laugh with a cough this time.