"Have they spoken to you yet?" Alexei asked.

He sat cross-legged at the end of Nastasia's bed, an open notebook resting before him. He was supposed to be transcribing trade letters from Nyctoli's common language into Seena's. Nastasia didn't envy her brother's assignment. She still wasn't fluent in the Seenanite tongue and she'd been studying it far longer than he had.

"No," she replied. Nastasia planted her feet even with her shoulders and raised her hands. "I'm sure they will today though. They can't keep it a secret forever."

"Maybe they mean to tell you after the next Council meeting," Alexei offered.

"Maybe, but I don't think Father would keep something like this from me for that long."

"Mother could persuade him to, and you know he hates to upset you." Alexei gnawed on a fingernail as he watched her. "You're supposed to be making a shield, not pretending like the ceiling is collapsing."

Nastasia rolled her eyes with a huff. "Why don't you try it? It's not as easy as it sounds."

Alexei pulled another book out from beneath his notebook and flipped through several pages, before pointing to one in particular. "Ivanka, third member of the Order of Saints, developed a method of shielding using her Moon Blessed magic. She left thorough instructions behind in one of her many journals for the benefit of Saints to come."

"Why don't you read me the instructions instead of the foreword?" Nastasia suggested, failing to prevent the bite of sarcasm from seeping into her tone.

"It says that you can form your shield out of nearly anything, but starlight is the easiest and most durable. You just have to will the starlight into shape and harden it until it's impenetrable."

"That doesn't really help," Nastasia grumbled, but she reached for her magic regardless.

The starlight answered instantly, crackling through her veins like ice over a windowpane. It was cold and gentle, but strong and unrelenting. It glimmered to life around Nastasia's palms. She furrowed her brows and clenched her jaw, trying to force the starlight into a circular shape. The luminescent sparks molded together, forming a solid sheet before Nastasia. It wasn't circular by any means, but it somewhat resembled a shield.

"Throw something at me," Nastasia called.

Alexei grinned and chucked his book at her. Nastasia yelped and staggered back as it collided with the shield, shattering the starlight in a single blow. "I think you could use a little more practice," Alexei snickered.

The bedroom door swung open before Nastasia could reply. Alexei leaped to his feet and Nastasia clasped her hands together as Gavriil and Serafima entered. "There you are, Alexei. Your professor has been looking for you," Serafima said. "Run along and I don't want to hear that you've snuck off again for the rest of the day, or I'll let him hold lessons in the evenings as well."

"But, Mother," Alexei protested.

Serafima silenced him with a stern glare. "Now."

Alexei lowered his head and gathered up his things, then hurried from the room. Serafima closed the door behind him. "Alexei needs more breaks and fewer lessons," Nastasia said. "He's a thirteen-year-old boy."

"A thirteen-year-old boy who will be King someday."

"Someday, but not today. Alexei would be more attentive if he had more opportunities to work off his energy doing something active. Let him go outside more. He loves archery and horses. I'm sure Nikolai wouldn't mind if Alexei joined him in the stables from time to time."

"That boy is too involved in you and Alexei's lives."

Nastasia stiffened. "Too involved? He's been our only friend, Mother."

"There are plenty of other people you could be friends with. People befitting your station. The Lords have sons and daughters."

"People befitting my station?" Nastasia echoed. "You've been friends with Nikolai's mother since before either of us were born. Does she befit your station?"

"Nastasia, that is enough," Gavriil interrupted. She lowered her gaze at once. "I'm sure you already know why we're here. I don't doubt that Alexei told you."

"Emperor Kazimir is threatening to expand his kingdom again and a few members of the Council want to form a marriage alliance between us," Nastasia said.

Gavriil nodded, running a hand over his short blond hair, akin to Alexei's. "We will hold another Council meeting in five days time to further discuss the proposition. Hopefully another solution can be found, but supposing it cannot, it might be best for you to acquaint yourself with the idea."

Her heart sank and a bitter taste settled on her tongue. "You would really force me to marry him?"

"It is your duty," Serafima answered. Her sapphire gaze softened. "In times like these, we must all make sacrifices for the greater good of our people."

Nastasia couldn't swallow her response. "But I must make an even greater sacrifice, right? Not because I'm the Princess, but because I'm Moon Blessed. I'm a living Saint. I'm the one the Goddess has chosen. Therefore I must be the one who throws their life away, not sparing a thought for my own desires."

"The Two-Faced Goddess gave you a gift by sparing your life. You would honor her best by returning your life when she asks for it."

"Sera," Gavriil snapped.

"I wasn't the one who asked for my life to be spared. It was the two of you!" Nastasia dug her nails into her palms. Magic sparked within her, but she forced it back down.

"Enough, both of you!" Gavriil stepped between the two of them. Nastasia glared as her mother turned on her heel and stormed from the room. Gavriil cleared his throat. "She's as upset by this as you are. She's trying to rationalize everything in her own mind, more so than in yours."

"It's no excuse."

"I'll speak with her." Gavriil rested a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing is certain yet, Daughter. We only wanted to prepare you."

Nastasia jerked away from her father and turned, wrapping her arms around herself. Gavriil sighed but didn't reach for her again. Nastasia didn't move until she heard the door click shut. Then, she slowly sank to her knees and sucked down trembling breaths.

•༻᯽༺•

Nikolai stroked the muzzle of a black mare while he brushed her glossy side. Gale was surprisingly calm today. Usually she tried to stomp on his feet while he was brushing her. Nikolai straightened and patted her shoulder fondly. "Then again, Andrey is here when you're in a foul mood. Perhaps you mistake my foot for his." Gale snorted and shook her mane.

Nikolai looked up as light footsteps approached. Alexei skidded into the stable breathlessly. Gale flattened her ears and Nikolai swiftly backed out of her stall. She calmed a few moments later. "Mother and Father spoke with Nastasia about the Council meeting," Alexei reported.

"How'd she take it?" Nikolai tossed his brush into an empty bucket and wiped his hands off on his trousers.

"Not well. She locked herself in the training room. I promised I'd cover for her but she's been down there for three hours already."

Nikolai rubbed his jaw, thin stubble scratching his fingers as he did so. "Andrey promised me a whipping if I disappear again, and if he doesn't make good on it, Volya will."

"Volya and a few other guards are accompanying my mother and her Ladies in Waiting into the city for the afternoon. Surely Andrey won't miss you until they get back?"

Nikolai ruffled the boy's hair and pushed him aside as he walked past. "All right. I'll check on Nasi after the Ladies leave."

"Don't act like you didn't want to anyway," Alexei teased and sprinted from the stables. Nikolai chuckled and went back to work.

It wasn't long before Andrey and a few of the other stablehands arrived. Andrey hollered orders left and right and the stablehands scurried to obey. Nikolai was tasked with leading two stallions out into the courtyard where they would be harnessed to a carriage. Another man took two more stallions.

By the time the horses were harnessed and the driver and footmen took their places, Queen Serafima and her Ladies in Waiting were already approaching the courtyard. Nikolai backed away, bowing at the waist as the Queen walked by. He felt her lingering gaze but didn't dare meet it. Not with Andrey standing right beside him. The Ladies vanished into the carriage and, with a flick of the reins, rolled out of the courtyard and onto the palace grounds.

Nikolai lingered near the stable until he was certain Andrey wouldn't notice his disappearance. Then, he hurried to the nearest hidden entrance into the palace. He breezed through dusty, barren corridors on near silent feet and didn't stop until he reached the training room. Muffled sounds came from within. Nikolai tried the latch but found it fastened.

"Nasi?" He called.

The sounds faded and a lock clicked before the door swung open. Nastasia smoothed hair back from her damp forehead. Magic shone at her fingertips and her silvery eyes were abnormally bright. "Alexei sent you?" She guessed.

"He did, but I would've come anyway. Are you all right?"

"I've been better," she admitted. "Mother and I argued again. Father did his best to help, but..." Nastasia trailed off, at a loss for words.

"So you came down here to train?"

"We both know what would've happened if I stayed in my room and let my panic fester."

Nikolai grimaced. They had learned the hard way that it was best for Nastasia to remain physically busy if there was no one else around when an episode of panic occurred. The first time she'd panicked alone, she lost control of her magic and shattered all of the beautiful stained glass windows in her room, as well as numerous pieces of furniture. Since then, the windows had been replaced by regular glass and Nastasia had learned to use training as an outlet.

"Well, if you're ready to take a break, I wrote another poem last night," Nikolai said at last.

"Really?" Nastasia arched a brow. "While you were with Mischa and Yuri?" He nodded. "I'm not sure I want to hear it."

Nikolai grinned. "Don't worry. It's nothing like "Nasty Nasi". I'm not keen on losing my fingers."

Nastasia swatted his arm as they sat down on a bench along the wall. "Did you burn that damned thing like I asked?"

"Of course not." Nikolai whipped a miniature journal out of his pocket and flashed the poem. Nastasia gasped and made a grab for it, but Nikolai held it out of reach. "Do you want to hear my new poem or not?"

"You should read me one of your secret poems to atone for failing to get rid of that one," Nastasia huffed.

Nikolai bit his lip, hoping she wouldn't notice the warm flush that crept into his face. There were many poems that he kept secret from her. From everyone, in fact. They were at the very back of his journal, written in small, almost illegible print so that he could fit more poems onto a single page. And the reason he kept them secret was because they were about her. Every single one of them.

Some spoke of her expressly by name. Others spoke of her only in context. Nastasia was constantly trying to get him to read her the poems, but he refused. He wasn't sure what he'd do if she read them. If she learned the true nature, the true depth, of his feelings towards her. Sharing them would only cause him pain and it was the last thing she needed to worry about right now.

"I'm afraid that's impossible, Princess," Nikolai said, and began to read.