HE STAYED FOR an hour, and they had a long and extensive chat into their personal viewpoints, past experiences and the like. It felt rather like an interview. A pleasant interview, but an interview nonetheless. They had to cram what ought to be months and years of knowing each other into around a week or two. It was a difficult feat for anyone.

  Things like this, it couldn't be forced. It shouldn't be forced. They've known each other for a long time, but not as friends, always as mere allies. Business partners, like he'd said.

  But it would be fine. Theirs would not be the first political marriage to start like so, and she was sure time would help bring them closer. And if it didn't, well, they were fine the way they were now. They could seek the pleasures and the warmth they wanted elsewhere. It wasn't difficult. There were plenty of people for them to choose from.

  Irina combed her fingers through her dark hair, let down after a day of being pulled up. She felt exhausted, but it was fine. It was time to go to bed, probably, but despite her physical fatigue she did not wish for sleep. Too much on her mind.

  She'd dismissed Bing Yi a few minutes ago, wanting to enjoy some peace and quiet. One candle flickered on the side of her table, lighting parts of the room. She stared it, and then turned away.

  It was getting closer, closer, closer to the wedding day.

  It was going to be okay, probably. Hopefully. She wasn't sure what she'd do otherwise, because Irina really was just clueless when it came to situations about herself. She was so good at micromanaging everyone else's life, but when it came to hers, it just... didn't work. Somehow everything always went wrong, against the way she wanted things to go. She hated it.

  The prince was a good match, though, as far as any match would go well with someone like Irina. He was intelligent, inclined to politics and she didn't need to wait for him to catch up. They both reached conclusions quickly, even though they might not be the same ones. That was all Irina cared about in any relationships. The bane of her existence was people who were too slow. She knew they existed, they had to exist, and that not everyone was an exact replica of her, but she just couldn't handle waiting for those around her to catch up. It was selfish and probably quite arrogant, but that was just how Irina's mind worked. Answering questions, especially stupid ones, made her temper rise like a bloody active volcano.

  Nothing she could do about it, just how she worked. Yet another thing in her life that was out of her control, even though it really shouldn't be.

  It was a pattern. Some divine act of balancing her, perhaps. Myrina would say that. Irina wouldn't. It was her weakness, pure and simple. A weakness she'd tried to deal with for many years, but always failed to.

  And when she felt out of control in situations like this, she always did one thing. She liked to make a list of all the problems she could solve, that she could deal with. It always made her feel less hopeless.

  And thus she began with her list:

Whatever the Meliqueans might cook up, because they were always planning something. They wouldn't dare do anything too bad, especially not after last year, but they would never show up without some malicious intent.

The wedding. She would make sure it went by perfectly. It did not matter if there was no love between her and Stephen—as long as they were friends. And any problems that rose during the wedding, as long as it didn't have anything to do with relationships and feelings, she could solve all those.

There had been a drought in the northern part of the empire. She couldn't precisely command the weather to start becoming wetter there, but she sure as hell could try to relieve the people's pain and starvation.

  And it continued, on and on and on. There were many things she could control, really, she was giving far more power over the country than any regular princess. The Emperor and Empress did treat her like their own daughter, and one could even say that while Ryan was the heir, she was the spare. If anything ever happened to Ryan, which hopefully it would not, Irina always had the nagging feeling the crown would be passed to her rather than any other relative. 

  Yes, she was definitely the favourite among their extremely small family. Not many close cousins, she was afraid.

  Irina rubbed her finger against her long, long nails on her thumb. It was a sign of luxury, long nails, and most noblewoman left the ones on their thumb and index finger long, protected with a beautifully decorated hujia, nail armour. Irina found it inconvenient on two fingers, but to keep up with the fashions she'd kept her nails long on her thumb.

  She was hungry, honestly, but she didn't feel like going to wake up Bing Yi to get the girl to get her some food. It just seemed rather unnecessary. It was that moment she wished she'd asked for some milk and perhaps some pastries before she'd sent Bing Yi off, but oh well, too late now. She had some nuts on the box on her desk, but those weren't going to make her full.

  Worth a try, though, so she slumped off her bed, feet meeting the cold wooden ground—too lazy to move to put on her silken slippers—sliding across the ground to the middle of the room for the box. She took it with her back to her bed, where she began munching on some walnuts.

  Not salty enough. But oh well.

  👑

  RYAN'S EYES PRACTICALLY fell out of his socket as Irina recounted the prior day's experiences to him. They'd chatted during dinner, of course, but Irina had not found the time nor privacy to give him a full, proper rundown.

  Ryan's first response was, "He came to you. Alone. And the two of you stayed alone without anyone to watch you for... how long?"

  Irina frowned. "That's Arecian etiquette. We're nowhere as restrictive here, especially since we are to be engaged."

  "Unfortunately," Ryan hissed, "he's Arecian. So we have to take Arecian rules into question while we go around with things, Irina. Tell me at least the two of you are compatible."

  "I thought you'd agreed we were years ago," Irina huffed. "We are, don't worry. We'll get along just fine, I won't be executed for murdering him. No war between Arecia and Sai will break out, don't you worry, cousin dearest."

  "That is not what I'm worried about—"

  "I'm sure we have other things to discuss," Irina forcefully interrupted.

  They were walking down a long street within the Palace. Irina had just left a tea party with the Arecian and Saian ladies of court (during which she had to stop Danna from getting into an argument with one Lady Katharine Morenshire regarding some businesses in Hrishna, which Irina thought was a rather ridiculous topic to get into an argument about), Ryan the male equivalent of it. A moment of peace in all the craziness and business.

  "It was him," Ryan continued as if Irina had not spoken at all, "or some lord who would have made you absolutely miserable here in Sai, unless you chose to completely ignore his existence, which would have made him miserable."

  "I'm glad you put so much faith in my ability to love and be loved by people."

  "It's not that," Ryan retorted. "It's the fact that you don't like being loved or loving people. You aren't incapable of it, you're just very resistant towards it."

  "Such kind words."

  Ryan let out a groan. "Here we go again."

  "It's been going on every day for the past decade, get with the times."

  The two cousins shared a rather tense look. Irina's qipao—she'd chosen to uncharacteristically wear something more non-traditional today—rustled under her brisk steps.

  Ryan said, "What do you have to do this afternoon? Nothing too much, right?"

  "It's already the afternoon," Irina replied, annoyed. "Just the tea party for the afternoon, meeting with some officials for dinner, though."

  "We removed you from—"

  "It's a personal choice."

  "Then do not ever let me hear you complain about too much work."

  "I never complain about too much work, Ryan. Who do you think I am? What kind of bloody misconceptions do you have about me?'

  Ryan sighed dramatically. "Na ni mei ban fa." I have no way of dealing with you. Irina smirked in response, which incited an even bigger frown on her cousin's face.

  "Taizi biaoge," cousin crown prince, "ze me la?" What is wrong? Irina was blatantly taunting Ryan now, and there was nothing he could do about it. He glared, obviously, as he always did, but said nothing except one simple word.

  "Gun." Screw off.

  "No," Irina shot back in response. "I have a stack of new correspondence waiting in my study, and if I screw off now I'll be going to deal with those. You don't want that to happen, do you? Oh no you don't. It's the very thing you're working against right now."

  "Are you threatening me, Irina?"

  "I'm threatening you with myself, so no, not really. I'm just manipulating you, and doing it bloody well, that's all."

  "Right." Ryan shook his head. "Remind me why I put up with you again."

  "You don't have a choice. We're related by blood. There is absolutely nothing you can do about it. Accept your fate, Ryan Gu."

  "There is plenty I can do about it–I've just chosen not to so far because I'm such a nice person." He raised his chin. "I'm sure you have better things to do past bickering with me and working on your correspondence. Take a break, perhaps? I'm sure you're exhausted from all that socialising you just did."

  "I am. But no.'

  "Go find Myrina and Justine. Work on your swordsmanship a bit, perhaps."

  Irina scoffed. "No amount of practice is going to make me good or interested in it. I know how to use a sword, how to defend myself, more or less. That's all I really need to know. It's fine."

  "It doesn't hurt to learn a thing or two more. You're a public figure, someone who has enemies. People may seek to hurt you. Yes, you have people around to protect you, but they won't be there all the time. Some day you might just find yourself in a bad situation with no one to help you in."

  "I'll make sure that day never comes."

  "And it never hurts a soul to become a bit more physically active. You're healthy, yes, but you could get a bit of muscle and tone on your limbs. You're physically very weak."

  "I'm a princess."

  "Don't use that as an excuse. Asteria's a future duchess and she's a thousand times more physically active and stronger than you."

  "She's one of Lady Kuroki's! It's completely incomparable," Irina argued with a growl. "And you know that too!"

  "Is it really that incomparable? You're both nearly the same age, the same upbringing, more or less the same personality traits as well. And while she's one of the best snipers I've ever met in my life, you..."

  "That's enough." Irina raised one finger. "I'm leaving, cousin dearest."

  He snorted. "Stay safe, Irina. I'll see you around. Try not to bite anyone's head off while I'm not around."

  Irina's response to that was a quick and vulgar expression she would not have dared made had she been sure no one around could witness it. Ryan blinked, nonplussed, and she took the moment to turn and leave. Bing Yi, who'd been trailing them with Ryan's valet, frantically followed. A split second later, Ryan's groan sounded.

  Irina did not turn back, as expected.

  Bing Yi jogged forward to catch up, whispering, "Your Highness, what did you do to anger the prince so?"

  "I was just being me," Irina said with a shrug. "Nothing surprising, don't worry. It's all just a little joke."

  Bing Yi did not seem very convinced. "Your Highness..."

  "Gods," Irina laughed, "it was a joke. He was annoying me and I did something to him he did not very much appreciate, but it was a joke. It's all fine. Do not worry."

  "Yes, Your Highness." That was one thing Irina loved about Bing Yi. Her obedience, her willingness to follow orders even when she didn't necessarily agree with them. That was a rare trait these days, but also one any leader appreciated. Yes. It was useful when people thought for themselves rather than blindly following them, but sometimes, you truly just needed someone who would follow orders they could not understand. Life was so much easier that way.

  Though perhaps not for the person in question themselves, since if they found themselves someone who wasn't someone very smart or benevolent to follow, the follower was likely find themselves in a rather tricky situation.

  But Irina, who never in her life could find the stomach to follow anyone at all, could simply not relate.

  She started on her journey to Gui Yan Palace, where she could work on the correspondence she was telling Ryan about. All from earlier this morning, very recent and fresh from the post. Quite a few were mere congratulations about the weddings from peers who could not find the time to attend, or were attending but felt the need to send congratulations beforehand anyways. Some were actual business from officials posted around the country and the globe. Some were personal, from friends far and near. Either way, she had a neat stack of about a dozen letters laying on her desk and an evening to finish responding to all of them.

  Irina spent much of her days responding to correspondence, she'd realised. She rarely travelled out of Hong Cheng, so unlike Ryan her approach to most issues was not very hands-on, but rather done distantly from behind the walls of the Palace. While it was partially because it was unseemly for a princess to travel around all day, part of it was also clearly because Irina simply wasn't someone who liked to go around all the time. She much preferred staying in one place for a longer period of time. Leaving the Palace just felt like a chore.

  Extremely privileged of her, she knew. As a princess, Irina had found no point in pretending she didn't gain many advantages from her title and position. Why bother pretending, when everyone already knew? It just made her seem unnecessarily fake and unlikeable. And she already wasn't the most likeable person to ever exist. She found no reason to add onto that enormous list.

  The day carried on as most of her days did: she wrote, she ate, she slept. No one visited that night, thank god, and Myrina was still out when Irina had fallen into slumber. Probably running around for her many errands, unless she'd decided to spend the night in the temple of Hongyun they had in the Palace. The priestesses there usually appreciated her visits. A noble with respect for religion, they were rare around here.

  In Irina's opinion, the ones at the top were usually the ones who realised they got there not because of divine interference, but they and their ancestors' hard work. Usually the latter among the peerage, rather unfortunately.

  It was one of many reasons she preferred the officials—who, even among those who got through due to nepotism, had to have some degree of competency to stand in their position for long–to the inheriting nobility, some of whom were completely brainless twats. Of course, most possessed a modicum of intelligence, but the ratio compared to the new and upcoming officials was minor indeed.

  When she woke up the next morning–one day closer to the wedding, goddamnit–she did so with a groan. The Caershireens and Wheldrakians arrived today. Tonight to be exact, but it meant they'd have to do the last checking of their residence, and be ready for the welcoming party. As well as the dinner, which seemed to be tradition.

  Why, she had no idea. She was quite certain no one wanted to go to a massive banquet that took hours after a long, long journey on the sea. She rarely wanted to eat anything after getting off a boat, but people worked their mysterious ways, and they liked to stick to courtesies and mannerisms that inconvenienced them rather than doing what they liked.

  She rang the bell at the side of her bed, and a moment later Bing Yi came in, obviously having been awake for a little while. The maid bobbed a curtsy. "Good morning, Your Highness. Would you like some tea?"

  "Water first," Irina said, leaving her bed.

  "The Crown Prince of Arecia came calling around half an hour ago," Bing Yi announced. "I told him you were still asleep."

  Irina's mind and gaze immediately sharpened. "Half an hour ago? It's only nine thirty. What on earth? Did he come alone? Did he say why he was here?"

  "Lady Katharine Morenshire and Prince Frederick were in tow, Your Highness."

  Irina frowned. She could find no reason Stephen would bring either of them over, especially when Ryan and the others clearly would not be frolicking around her palace at such an early hour. "You sent him away?" Irina asked.

  "Lady Myrina offered them some tea and to wake you up, but the Prince declined. He said he didn't want to disturb your rest and left, telling us to call for him when you were awake and ready."

  "Did he say why he was here?"

  "I'm afraid I was not made aware," Bing Yi said, dipping her head. "They did say something to Lady Myrina, however. Perhaps you could ask her."

  "Thank you, Bing Yi. Fetch me my clothes, won't you? And call for Myrina. I am not traipsing to the side palace right after I've awoken."

  "Of course, Your Highness." With another curtsy, Bing Yi took three backwards steps before leaving the room. Irina quickly moved to her vanity, smoothing out her hair. She would not be decorating it before she put her clothes on, since that would simply be disastrous. She waited until Bing Yi returned, clothes in hand. Bing Yi quickly helped dress her and did a simple but elegant chignon with her hair, a jade ji securing it. Irina ushered her out to get Myrina while she started with her makeup. Nothing too much, she'd add more later. For now she kept it simple.

  Myrina came in a few minutes later. Before Irina even opened her mouth, Myrina said, "The prince seemed to be of the idea that you ought to get even more acquainted with the Lady Katharine and Prince Frederick, since they're his close friends and very likely to be people you'd be dealing with on the daily once you're in Arecia."

  Irina swore. "He couldn't have warned me beforehand? Or waited until the afternoon, instead of nine in the morning?"

  Myrina said apologetically, "I asked. He wasn't aware when the Wheldrakians and Caershireens would arrive, and he didn't want their arrival to interrupt your little bonding session. And he said he thought you'd be awoken by now, since you seemed to be an early riser."

  "I had a long night."

  "You did not," Myrina retorted. "You were fast asleep by the time I returned–I could hear your snoring."

  "I do not snore."

  "Fine," Myrina huffed. "I asked Bing Yi where you were and she told me you were already asleep. You don't snore. I'm sure Prince Stephen is relieved."

  "Yes," Irina said pointedly. "I'm sure he is. I wonder if he snores."

  "I could send someone to check," Myrina said casually.

  That was Myrina's humour, when she decided to possess one. Irina shot her a glare. "Did he say anything else?"

  "We did not converse long. You see, me, having had a long night, was barely just awake and half-dressed when they came knocking. Considering my state they did not decide to take up too much of my time and bid me goodbye after a few sentences. Lady Katharine Morenshire looked rather displeased at the fact I showed up in a rather unpresentable manner. That one is a stickler for the rules."

  "Much like you?"

  "Different rules."

  "Right," Irina huffed. "Zhen xing le ni de xie." I'll believe your bullshit.

  "No, no," Myrina shook her head. "Genuine difference between me and Lady Katharine, Irina. For starters, Prince Stephen respects her far more."

  "Myrina—"

  "I'll head off now so that you can get ready properly. Don't keep the prince and his entourage waiting for too long, I don't think the prince wants a bride who wakes at eleven every morning."

  "It's nine thirty."

  "It takes you a while to get ready." Myrina's attitude was starting to get genuinely annoying, and Irina wasn't all that sure she liked it. Somehow the girl had gained a massive confidence boost in the span of a few days. But only in front of her, never before anyone else. Irina wondered how Ryan would react if she saw Myrina like this right now. He might just get a heart attack.

  (Would the wedding still go forward, if Ryan suddenly died and Irina became heir? Perhaps not. But that wasn't something she should be considering at all.)

  "It doesn't take me an hour and a half. It'll take me half an hour, maximum. I'm almost done anyways."

  "Breakfast?"

  "I can eat while I talk with them," Irina replied, raising her chin. "Don't you have something else to do, I'm sure?"

  "I do," Myrina nodded earnestly. "But you called me over to brief you, so here I am. I shall leave now, Your Highness. I'm sure you do not require my help any further."

  With a sigh, Irina rang for Bing Yi again. Quickly they properly dressed Irina up until she was perfectly presentable for a meeting with her fiance and his inner circle. Bing Yi left once they were done to get Stephen and the imperial kitchen to cook something up. Irina, meanwhile, brewed herself some nice tea. She ought to ask for more maids. She wasn't sure why she'd reduced them from three to one, but it was starting to get slightly inconvenient, and Bing Yi was being ran ragged. The poor girl must feel exhausted. Perhaps she'd upgrade some of the maids who were going with her to become her close maids. That would help with the situation, relieving the load from all of her measly household.

  Truly, her household was so small for a princess of the first rank. Barely the size of a guiren, the lowest level of concubines, in the previous dynasty. She wasn't going for a reputation of being jianpu and disliking the expensive and luxurious, so why did she bloody bother? Sometimes she failed to understand herself, which she supposed was quite a weakness. She ought to do something about that.

  She was sitting and staring out a window in the parlour when Bing Yi returned, the prince and his entourage in tow. As they entered, Irina stood. Stephen gave a small bow. "Princess Irina."

  "Prince Stephen. Prince Frederick. Lady Katharine. Apologies for the inconvenience I may have caused, I had a rather long night and thought I might catch up on a bit of sleep this morning. I was not expecting your visit."

  "It was quite an unexpected one," Stephen replied with a smile. "Think nothing of it. We had such an invigorating discussion a few days ago, and I thought you might wish to meet my friends in a more private setting. You're already introduced to each other, I know."

  "We are," Irina nodded. "Lady Katharine was present at the tea party yesterday."

  "I was." Lady Katharine's expression was cool. "I see General Lan is not present today."

  Irina tensed. The lady mentioned that on purpose. Somehow her hostility towards Justine was extending to her as well, which truly was not the best way to treat your future princess and queen. With equal ice, barely polite, she replied, "I'm afraid she has many duties to attend to this morning, with the Caershireens and Wheldrakians arriving so soon. Justine has many responsibilities within and outside our palace walls."

  "I thought she was a general," Lady Katharine asked, one brow raised.

  "She's also a member of my inner circle," Irina replied politely. "And that means some extra responsibilities as well. It is not much, but it does still takes up some time."

  Lady Katharine made a rather curious sound in reply. Prince Frederick interjected, trying to diffuse the tension. "I love your palace, Your Highness. It's very elegantly decorated."

  "Thank you, Your Highness." They were of the same rank, technically, both niblings to their respective monarchs. It seemed a bit awkward, calling each other by their titles, so she said, "Perhaps we ought to all use each other's given names. Stephen has given me leave to use his, and I him. You may call me Irina as well, or Longyu if you wish to. Might I call you Frederick, Your Highness? And you Katharine?"

  Prince Frederick tipped his head in response. "By all means be my guest, Irina."

  "Of course, Your—Irina." Katharine dipped her head. "You may call me whatever you wish to."

  That didn't sound quite right, but Irina chose to ignore the undertone and instead focus on the surface meaning. "Thank you. This does make everything so much easier. I trust you've all been enjoying your stay so far?" Irina was sure they'd been asked the same question millions of times already, but it was the best thing to say at that moment, so she repeated it.

  Frederick replied, "Splendidly, Irina. You Saians prove to be excellent hosts once again."

  Irina beamed. "We do try to do our best regarding that." The beam was fake, obviously. They all knew that everything coming out of each other's mouth was just some awkward attempt at keeping things calm, natural, normal, and that it wasn't working very well. Prince Stephen hadn't thought this very through and it was clear in the way none of them, not even him, seemed to have anything substantial to say.

  Waffling their way through seemed to be the best option. And Irina was a master at that particular art. Attended too many soirees, tea parties and balls in the past, she liked to think. Especially when she was younger and hadn't found any of the friends that made up her current circle yet. She used to be paraded before all kinds of young lords and ladies, making polite conversation she had no interest in, tittering about topics she did not particularly enjoy or appreciate. She'd stopped doing that once she was older.

  Did not mean, however, that she necessarily was able to escape it fully. Sometimes the skills and experiences did come in handy. Especially in situations like this one.

  Stephen said, "We hope you will be able to enjoy your stay in Arecia as much as we've been enjoying our time here."

  Wryly, Irina said, "Well, it's quite different a stay, I'd think. A permanent one compared to a temporary one."

  "At its core," Frederick smiled, "I think they are quite the same. Though it'll be best if you get very comfortable in Arecia."

  Irina tilted her head. "I adapt to my environment very fast. It should be perfectly alright."

  Stephen said, "I'm thinking of renovating her bedroom to better suit her tastes. She can reside in one of the guests' rooms until that's done with."

  "There's a spare bedroom down your corridor, isn't there? Meant to be for a sibling, but you never got one. I lived there for a short while before I was moved to my current room," Frederick pointed out. "She can stay there for the time being. It's close enough to her actual room—in the other corridor, by the way, and there's a door linking your set of apartments and Stephen's. Feel free to keep that open or closed," that was saying, let's see how well you get along, "and it's relatively large. What would you like your bedroom to be like, Irina?"

  "Quite honestly I have no idea."

  Stephen said, "Frederick has dabbled in interior design."

  Katharine laughed. "He's dabbled in everything. He's not very good at it."

  "I'm offended, Kate." Frederick shot the lady a glare before turning back to Irina. "Any designs in mind? General atmosphere?"

  "Warm and cosy. Lived-in."

  "In contrast to clean and pristine, which is what your room currently is." Frederick sighed. "Never mind that, then. The colour palette needs to be changed."

  "Precisely what I said," Stephen said, sounding pleased. "A more wood-coloured palette?"

  Irina glanced at Lady Katharine, who seemed quite bored with the conversation as well. So she said, interrupting the two prince's happy little discussion, "I'm sure we can discuss this later on. It truly is not necessary right now."

  "We ought to make you comfortable in Arecia," Frederick frowned.

  Irina replied, "Oh, you misunderstand me, Frederick. We can discuss this, but perhaps not right now? Perhaps I'd see my room in Arecia and like it, and then all this discussion will be for naught."

  Katharine snorted. "Oh, let them, Irina. They like discussing this, god knows why." The dark-skinned girl's eyes flickered to hers, and Irina gave a small smile in reply. "I'm sure the two of us can find something else to talk about. Anything in mind?"

  Half-humouredly, Irina said, "The latest fashions?"

  Katharine huffed, waving her hand in the air. "Please. We can do so much better than that. Let's think. I'm sure we have something other than being women in common."

  "Any novels you've read recently?" Irina asked politely. She'd seen some of the Arecian ladies carrying around novels, and she'd glanced at the titles. She'd read some of them.

  Katharine replied, "I don't read novels."

  Irina blinked, surprised. "Do you not? What do you read, then?"

  "Non-fictions, usually. Biographies, history books, things like that."

  "Ah," Irina pursed her lips, "as much as I enjoy those, I find a novel or two helpful in aiding me to relax."

  Frederick joked, "Perhaps that's why Katharine is so tense all the time. You ought to pick up a novel or two too, Kate."

  "They do not interest me." Katharine was someone relatively difficult to get along with, Irina had recognised this from the moment she'd laid eyes on the lady. She was uptight, a stickler for the rules, and did not quite seem to approve of her upcoming nuptials to Stephen. Likely that she wanted Stephen to be married to someone who he had feelings for, rather than a loveless political one, since from all accounts the two had known each other since they were little children. The prince had no siblings, so Katharine and Prince Frederick must have seemed like surrogate ones. It was expected for the lady to feel protective of the prince. It would be odd if she didn't.

  But still. Irina was going to be Stephen's bride whether any one of them liked it or not, so Katharine might as well get used to it now. And she had a feeling it was why the prince had brought the lady over as well. He wasn't an idiot, and he must have seen the hostility Katharine displayed towards Sai and its nobility as a whole. Her little spat with Justine had to have reached his ears in some way. People talked, and words travelled long distances fast.

  "Perhaps you haven't found the right one," Irina shrugged. "Ah, no matter. Music? Art? Dance?"

  "I doubt you'd know the ones I like." There was a haughty tone in that, almost as if Katharine was taunting Irina for being behind the times. Irina raised a brow. No one else seemed to find what she'd said concerning, though.

  So Irina simply replied, "Perhaps not, if your likes are very niche. I'm no great connoisseur or expert."

  "My likes are not niche, I simply doubt we enjoy the same mediums of art."

  "I don't see how you could claim that, considering you have no idea what my likes are, but as you wish, Lady Katharine." She used her title again, because Irina felt the need to very quickly establish the difference between them.

  She was a princess. Katharine was a mere lady. There was still an astronomical gap between them, and the other woman was better off remembering that.

  Katharine seemed to recognise the warning laced in her words, raising her chin defiantly, but she didn't say anything despite that, probably having realised the dangerous area she was treading on.

  The two princes had fallen quiet, watching the interaction. Both seemed to be at quite a loss. Good. Irina always thought that men interfering in these battles between women only made things worse. And it was wholly unnecessary.

  Irina adjusted her position slightly on the day bed, a pleasant smile on her face. "Now that that's over with... is there anything else we'd like to talk about? If not, I think it would be pleasant to start preparing for our dear friends the Caershireens and Wheldrakian's arrival tonight."

  Seemingly before the girl could stop herself, Katharine asked, "Is everything for their arrival not already prepared?"

  Irina watched Stephen shoot the lady a warning glance. Irina herself raised her chin, "Everything is prepared, yes, but it never hurts to check, does it? We have such high standards to live up to, and we're perfectionists around here, Lady Katharine."

  "So much attention and care is placed into such little things," Frederick smiled.

  "Of course,"  Irina tipped her head, "how else could we welcome such esteemed guests? Meticulous attention to detail must be paid. Therefore, we check everything numerous times to make sure they're in order."

  "Perfectly expected," Stephen nodded. "It must be tiring, all the work."

  "It is rather exhausting," Irina mused, "but ah, well, the end is worth it, I like to think."  She kept up a facade of being wholly unbothered by other's words and comments, because as a princess that was expected of her. Kuan rong da du. Generosity, acceptance, kindness. The basic rules she was always forced to follow, at least on the surface, every day of her life.

  "When do the guests arrive today?" Katharine asked, one brow raised, hands clutched on her lap before her dark purple gown.

  "We cannot know for sure," Irina replied, "but most definitely not before the afternoon. Do not worry, we'll all gather together tonight for dinner anyways."

  "I only ask because some of my friends are among the delegates. I wish to see them as soon as possible, you understand."

  "Of course I understand, Lady Katharine. But I truly have no idea, though I'll send someone to inform you of their arrival if you so wish. Perhaps you'd like to give me a list of your friends' names so that I could remind them to await your presence?"

  "That would be wonderful, thank you. Do you have any pen and paper?"

  "My memory is quite decent, and I know most of the guests coming. I'm sure I can just memorise their names."

  Katharine listed a few names. Daughters of politicians and merchants who were tagging along their families, mostly, no one particularly interesting.

  Irina wasn't sure why she was expecting Lady Katharine to be acquainted with anyone interesting. She seemed to have highly overestimated the woman's friend groups, and her character. Irina seemed to have had it in her head that Lady Katharine was more than she'd seem. She seemed to be wrong.

  Sometimes people and things were exactly what they looked like on the surface. More often than not there were no stories behind it, no reasonings. The world was shallow and so were its inhabitants. A lesson everyone ought to know. So far, her expectations for Lady Katharine had been disappointing. She'd thought Stephen might have kept her around in his inner circle for more reasons than simply friendship since childhood, but apparently not. It did paint the prince as someone sentimental, though, who took relationships very delicately and treasured them so. She liked that. People with loyalty, who remembered what you did for them and returned the favour, were always going to be reliable.

  She needed someone to rely on, in a foreign country so far from home. Husbands were usually the best candidates in situations like that, whenever they were trustworthy and intelligent enough to be a rock for a woman to lean their back on.

  Irina committed the names to memory and nodded. "I shall seek them out for you later. Perhaps if they have the time, they'd come and visit you instead of the other way round."

Her tone still rather clipped, Lady Katharine replied, "Thank you." But some of the ice had left her tone, only cool indifference remaining. She could work with that. Irina was a master of utilising that tone in conversations to intimidate and control.

  Lady Katharine was battling against a matter of the game she played. She just had no idea, not yet. But she would soon, she would eventually. Biding her time, that was what Irina was doing. Because she did need to maintain good relationships, and keep up a good impression with Prince Stephen and Frederick. Both of them were far more important than some impertinent daughter of a duke who'd hold little power and sway in the grand scheme of things anyways.

  "You are welcomed." Irina tilted her head, a challenging glint in her eyes as she fixed her gaze upon the lady and smiled. Banishing the look from her eyes quickly, returning to a more sombre and serious expression, she turned to Stephen. "Are any of your friends among the Caershireen and Wheldrakian delegates?"

  "A few," Stephen replied, nodding. "But I'm sure they'd be busy settling in today, I'll wait until the evening to meet up with them. It has been a long while."

  "Yes," Irina murmured. "There haven't been many international events hosted since our engagement party last year." There hadn't been a point, with the Meliqueans currently in a truce with most of their enemies. Of course, the proxy battle waged on in Lohia and Joskum, but no one seemed to truly care about it. It wasn't on their door steps, and their interests weren't all that at risk. Hence, few international or even intercontinental meetings and such had been held in the past while. Everything had been kept relatively quiet and calm, on the downlow.

  The quiet before a storm, in Irina's honest opinion. It would all explode soon—it already somewhat was, as conflict with the Meliqueans rose day after day. The treaties signed a mere year ago were quickly becoming outdated as situations changed like the stormy seas, its destructive waves crashing against white cliffs. Any plant that didn't take root deep enough would be swiftly washed away.

  She knew Asteria hadn't seen her Lieutenant Harlande since the engagement party. Or Danna with her Novokulugan agent. Not many chances, and Danna had mainly remained in Sai at her own request, tired of being posted in foreign countries far from home. A brief reprieve among all the bloodshed and the spying and the outsmarting.

  So many reunions. The festive spirit was running rampant around the palace. Irina ought to raise her own spirits as well.