I walked towards the woman and caught her arm at the last moment.

She turned, and I didn't recognise her. I opened my mouth to apologise and flee. However, she did know me.

«Your highness,» she exclaimed, opening her eyes wide. She grinned and turned to me completely.

Wonderful. I had to carry out a conversation with someone I didn't care about. And all of that after stupidly mistaking a stranger girl with my Queen.

Oh, that was bad. If I couldn't discern my own wife from the rest of the women, it meant I wasn't ready to meet her yet.

«It has been a long time,» she continued. «I didn't think you would remember me.»

No, in fact, I didn't have a clue about her identity.

«I was just a child when you visited our residence... I played that song for you, and you were so kind as to praise my terrible skills.»

Oh, there was a single child that played for me. Except for Martia, but she insisted on showing me that she didn't learn how to play the piano.

Was it a piano, by the way?

«You've grown up,» I mumbled. Elisabeth Grahm had been only eleven, maybe just ten, when I met her for the first time.

The girl in front of me, though, was a splendid fifteen-year-old. She was pretty, elegant, and apparently composed.

She didn't have many points in common with my Queen, apart from her hair. Which, by the way, was a shade darker than Theodora's. I had been a fool.

And what would my Thea be doing in the capital, by the way?

«Father told me how you helped us,» she said. «Thanks to your highness, my brother can stay in the Empire and succeed my father and, one day, my grandfather. Our family was saved by a few words from your highness.»

«It was my duty,» I mumbled, trying to find a way to leave. I couldn't just turn and walk away; there were social conventions that needed to be followed.

«Oh, regardless of that, I'll forever be in your highness's debt!»

«Why?» I shook my head.

If there was someone that would have been indebted, it was that Samuel. And if one wanted to be generous, Count Grahm could feel glad about it. If he was left without a successor, his future as Duke Grahm would have been questioned.

«You don't owe me anything.»

Her eyes started shining for some unknown reason.

«I will be grateful to your highness's help despite your selfless declarations,» she giggled. «But we've talked enough about me. How has your highness been lately? I hope you've passed the coronation unscathed.

«Pretty much.» Except for irrational desires to kill, failed plans to get to my wife, and clouded memories that were starting to resurface.

«His majesty was so stunning, wasn't he? I hope we'll have a new era of prosperity. Oh, I'm sure we will if your highness is a close counsellor to his majesty!»

Was she trying to flatter me? Or was she just teasing?

I couldn't be sure, and I wasn't too worried about that. After all, she was just a teenager in search of attention.

Oh, my Queen was a teenager as well at that time. I should find a way to stop thinking of every girl younger than me as a child. It would have become awkward when meeting my Queen. I remembered her charisma as a full-grown woman, but how was she as a young maiden?

I wouldn't have found out, so I pushed those thoughts to the side.

«His majesty will guide us in the best direction,» I replied mechanically. I had to remember where I was at that moment and act accordingly.

I was still a citizen of the Empire.

«I was wondering...» she started, probing my expression with her keen eyes. «Is your highness free tomorrow evening?»

«I have an appointment with his majesty.»

«And the day after?»

«I've promised Martia to stay with her. We won't be able to meet for a while after I leave,» I shrugged. I didn't have time to meddle with the Grahms. Our cooperation lasted until I freed their heir and prevented him from marrying my wife. Once that was done, we weren't friends anymore.

Not to mention that the girl was starting to get on my nerves for some reason. I had passed the evening by trying cocktails of different colours, so I wasn't in the best shape for a conversation.

«Oh, what do we have here?» a man inquired, walking to us and smirking as if we were having a private, secret conversation. «Has our Elisabeth caught the Archduke's attention?»

Who dared to call me Archduke so freely? Only members of the royal family had the privilege to call me Archduke instead of royal highness.

After a whole minute of thinking, I realised who that man was. The Marquise, none other than the landlord!

«Marquise Lindell,» I replied. «Don't be so frank with a lady. You might cause misunderstandings...»

«Oh, my,» Elisabeth chuckled. «George is always like that, don't take it to heart, your highness.»

What use did I have in getting annoyed? I was going to leave that place regardless.

«No worries,» I muttered.

After talking with them for a few more minutes, I looked for Bertha. Wilhelm was probably already dancing with a pretty lady or drinking with strangers. He was like that: he had no issues in finding new friends.

«I want to go home,» I informed her with a gloomy tone. She just nodded, and we left together, leaving that moron to have fun on his own.

«Parties are boring,» Bertha sighed. «At least I won't be asked to attend something like this after marriage. It will be tough, though, to live far from you and Martia.»

«We're family,» I shrugged. «We'll stay a family even if we're not in the same place.»

I had been preparing for it my whole life, so I wasn't as hit by the future as she was. I had already lived it once. It's difficult in the beginning, but you get used to it sooner or later.

The night was warm, but a fresh breeze cooled down our excitement. I was sure I would come back soon, so I organised my departure to Kyre the day after. I spent the evening with his majesty, and I brought Martia on an outing in the capital.

When it was finally time to go, I was delayed by an unexpected occurrence.

«Your highness!» Someone called me.

It was from George Lindell. He had used the term Archduke so freely just two days before. Within the Palace's walls, he followed the etiquette flawlessly.

«Are you already leaving? Won't you stay for the hunt?»

«I have commitments,» I said; my voice was plain and uninterested. «Kyre is a complex duchy. I have to go there soon. I haven't been for months, and I can't delay anymore.»

Also, I had to talk with the Countess about the future. I would have masked it as concern for my survival, and I would have designed a plan for after my final departure for another country.

«You left a deep impression on Elisabeth, your highness,» he grinned. «She was stunned by your appearance at the party. You were so focused on talking that we others wondered what you were discussing. It's rare to find a young lady with such dialectic skills, isn't it?»

What dialectic skills? She just greeted me and remembered the old time when we met for a day and never saw each other again.

Her memories might have been influenced by her mood, as children don't always remember what happens but how they felt about it.

«Not to mention that she's the most beautiful among the ladies... Well, except her highness, Princess Lyland.»

Ah, that was something else that annoyed me. Martia was given a secondary name, so she stopped being the young lady of Kyre and became Princess Lyland. It was just something the old geezers thought to split her from our family name, to move us farther apart.

I hadn't accepted that change yet. I would have continued to call my sister Martia till the end of time. I was allowed to do so, even if my position was slightly lower than hers in the Palace. I was her older brother: it must have counted for something!

However, the rest of the court was forced to call her Princess and bow to her as they do to his majesty.

A part of me suspected that she used what I told her to become more relevant. She befriended our cousin to manipulate him for her gain.

In our gain, most probably.

Too bad that, knowing her, she had probably fallen in her own trap and started loving our cousin with sincerity. She had become the older sister in the Palace, and she seemed to quite like it.

She might have grown attached to the Palace, understanding how to use the intrigues in her favour. She might have even started liking it. Taking her away to make her Lord of Kyre didn't seem enjoyable.

But I had my destiny to fulfil.