Joey came back into the room, pushing a rattling tea cart in front of him. While he began to set up the tea things, Collette turned to Anne. “Quick, have you decided on any styles you like?”

“Oh,” said Anne, glancing back down at the catalog. “I, uh…”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Collette. “Joey, come here a moment!”

Collette took Joey off to the side, rattling a bunch of orders to him.

While they were preoccupied, Belle took a sip of her tea, and said quietly, “So if you’re father is… who you say, then who's your mother?”

“I don’t know,” said Anne. “She’s the one who abandoned me at the church.”

“If you don’t know who your mother is, how do you know that your father’s the elf king?” asked Collette, plopping down next to Anne.

“Collette!” said Belle. “You should keep your voice down when discussing such things.”

“Oh come on, Joey already left,” said Collette, serving herself a slice of tea cake. “It’ll take him a while to gather all the stuff I asked for, too.”

“Well, our dad has a lot of illegitimate kids,” said Agis. “So a while back my brother Elyon invented a magical device that acts as a sort of paternity test.”

“Wait, ‘our’—?” said Belle. “Are you also an illegitimate child of the elven king.”

“No, I am not!” said Agis, puffing out his chest. “I’m completely legitimate. I'm the third son of King Theodas and Queen Elincia, Prince Agis Clearshot.”

“You’re a legitimate prince?” Belle’s voice was calm, but she was tightly gripping the arms of her chair in a way that implied she was barely keeping it together.

Collette whistled.

“I actually met Agis kind of randomly one day,” said Anne. She didn’t remember it herself, but it was mentioned in the original novel. “And the family resemblance was obvious, so we confirmed it with the test thing.”

“Okay, okay,” said Belle, taking a deep breath. “Just accepting all of this, shouldn’t you still have some way to figure out who Anne’s mother is? If you know around when she was born, then surely your father remembers…”

“I think you’re underestimating how much our dad gets around,” said Anne.

“Just how many half-siblings do you guys have?” asked Collette.

Anne and Agis both looked at each other and then shrugged.

“At least enough to fill a platoon,” said Agis. “Most of them are in the royal guard.”

“And that’s only the ones we know about,” said Anne.

There was a pause as everyone considered this.

“You two should really be more careful about who you tell about all this,” said Belle. “I mean, a legitimate elf prince wandering around the capital city…”

“It’s not like we go around telling everyone,” said Anne. “But you guys are friends of Corvina, so it’s fine, right?”

Now it was Collette and Belle’s turn to exchange glances.

“Well if you’d ask me a few weeks ago, I would’ve told you that Lady Corvina herself would’ve been the absolute worst person you could have told any of this to. Although I wouldn't be surprised if she already knew anyway,” said Belle. “But honestly I’m not sure what to make of any of this anymore. I can’t keep up.”

There was a knock on the door and Joey came in followed by several other shop assistants, all weighed down by armfuls of clothes.

Collette clapped her hands and got to her feet. “Enough of all that! Now it’s time for some real fun!”

Soon, Anne found herself being stuffed into and pulled out of all sorts of different outfits, all while the shop assistants poked, prodded and measured her. Collette and Belle offered running commentary the whole time. Agis kept looking away embarrassed when she was being undressed/redressed, but he’d do his best to weigh in when asked for comments.

At one point, Anne was standing in front of the mirrored wall in a bright red paisley suit with matching top-hat.

“I think it looks sharp!” said Collette. “Belle, what do you think?”

Anne had been rather stunned by this whole process and had mostly let herself be carried along by it. But as she fiddled with the top hat, trying to find the right angle to wear it at, she suddenly burst out laughing.

It was a loud and hardy laugh, not at all elegant, but both Collette and Belle couldn’t help but notice how Anne’s eyes came alive while she laughed. It was as if the air itself became brighter around her.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” said Anne, wiping a tear away from her eye. “I’m not sure I can pull this one off. Do you have anything a bit… less?”

Collette looked thoughtful. “I think I’m starting to see how everyone keeps getting charmed by you, Saintess.”

“Huh?” said Anne.

“Never mind,” said Collette. “I’ll ask Joey to bring a few more options.”

“Isn’t it getting kind of late?” asked Belle, nervously looking at the clock on the far wall.

“Who cares?” said Collette. “It’s my party, I can show up when I want to.”

Across town, the guests who had arrived on time to Collette’s party were starting to get antsy.

Countess Collette Vostelmal’s town home was small compared to some of the other noble residences in the city, but it was beautiful, and well-kept, and several years ago Collette had had the majority of the second floor renovated into a ballroom.

The ballroom had an open and refreshing feeling to it, with simple decor and windows that opened out into a small garden planted with numerous fragrant plants. People often said that a cool summer breeze blowing through the windows of Countess Vostelmal’s ballroom was as good for the soul as a walk down a country lane—but with considerably more alcohol at hand.

A good couple dozen people were now milling around that ballroom, taking drinks from passing waiters and wondering when the hostess was going to make an appearance.

Two minor nobles, a Baron named Ravimond and a Viscount named Sullane, were standing near the refreshments table picking at some hors d'oeuvres.

“Honestly, I can hardly believe this kind of atrocious behavior,” hissed Baron Ravimond.

“What’s not to believe?” asked Viscount Sullane. “You should know by now that the Countess has no sense of propriety.”

“That’s as may be, but she could at least respect her guests enough to arrive on time to her own party,” said Baron Ravimond.

“The real issue is that she has been shown far too much latitude by society for far too long,” said Viscount Sullane, popping a whole shrimp puff into his mouth. “She runs around wild because she gets away with it. If only the Emperor would make her take a husband. It’s frankly irresponsible to leave a county seat without an heir like this. And perhaps the right man would be able to bring her to heel.”

“That’s an interesting thought,” said Lady Corvina, who had approached behind them. “Although you know the Emperor generally doesn’t like to interfere in the marriage affairs of the nobility. He considers it rather beneath him. Would you not agree?”

The Baron and Viscount, both visibly startled, quickly lost every ounce of haughty pretense they had been carefully cultivating.

“Of course, your ladyship,” said Viscount Sullane. “I meant no insult to the Emperor, I was just saying—”

“I know exactly what you were saying,” said Lady Corvina, with a smile. “And don’t worry, I’m well aware that you didn’t intend to insult the Countess, either. After all, both of you were, up until just this morning, desperately searching for companions with available plus-ones to this party, because you both know how merely being seen at one of the Countess’s exclusive parties can vastly improve your reputation in the very society that gives her so much... latitude, as you say. Not to mention, Baron, don’t you own a textile mill that’s rather dependent on the Countess’s boutiques as a major client?”

“Your ladyship, please,” said Baron Ravimond. “We were just joking. Please don’t tell anyone what we were saying.”

“Who would I possibly tell?” said Corvina. “But don’t you think it’s time you both got home?”

“What?” said Viscount Sullane. “But the Countess hasn’t even arrived yet!”

“Oh dear, but I thought you’d already achieved your goals here,” said Corvina, covering her mouth delicately with one hand. “After all, you’ve already been seen in attendance, haven’t you? And it wouldn’t do for two important men such as yourself to waste any more of your valuable time here, would it?”

“But what of our companions?” asked Viscount Sullane.

“Don’t worry,” said Corvina. “I’ll see to it that Lady Abriel and Lady Gainton both have carriages to return them home after the festivities.”

“But—”

The Baron put a hand on his friend’s arm. “We’d better do as she says,” he said, quietly, but firmly. He then bowed to Lady Corvina and said. “Please forgive us for taking up your time, Lady Corvina.”

As the two of them retreated, Prince Sebastian walked up next to Lady Corvina, clapping slowly.

Corvina shot him a look.

“Impressive as ever, sister!” said Sebastian, grinning. “I don’t know how you manage to dismiss people so thoroughly while still being so polite. I could never manage it. Talking in circles like that just makes my head spin.”

“It’s unnecessary for you to do such things, Crown Prince,” said Corvina, with a strained smile.

Prince Sebastian folded his arms and leaned against the wall nearby. “Where’s the Saintess, anyway? Didn’t you say she was going to be here?”

“I’m sorry, your highness, I’m afraid I got… distracted the last time I saw the Saintess and forgot to inform her of the party,” said Corvina. “Although I suspect that might be why our hostess is running late. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Saintess made an appearance later after all. Please be patient until then, your highness.”

“Why are you always so stiff and formal with me, Corvina?” asked Sebastian. “We’re siblings, you know! You can treat me casually!”

Corvina opened her mouth to reply with some automatic, placating stock phrase like she usually would, but something made her hesitate.

Corvina sighed and rubbed her temple. “Do you really not know why I talk to you this way? Why I’m so good at talking in circles in the first place?”

“No,” said Sebastian. “You mean you’re not just naturally good at the circle-talking thing?”

“No, of course not,” said Corvina. “I had to learn it. And you never did. Because you’re the heir to the throne, and I’m a bastard with no real rank beyond ‘lady.’ I live at the Emperor’s discretion. If I do anything that could possibly displease the Emperor, I run the risk of losing everything, including my life. You never know when talking rudely, even to people like that, could find its way back to the Emperor. I have to ensure that people both fear and respect me for the sake of my own survival. But you never had to learn to act politely to anyone. Because I’m pretty sure you could commit a murder in front of him and the Emperor wouldn’t disinherit you. And that makes you one of the riskiest people to possibly anger. So of course I have to be extra polite to you. Do you really not know any of this? Have you really, never once in your life, considered my position?”

“Corvina…” said Sebastian, reaching out to touch Corvina’s shoulder. “I didn’t realize—”

There was a loud murmur form the crowd and Sebastian and Corvina turned to see Collette and Belle ascending the stairs.

“Not to worry, my friends! The life of the party is here!” said Collette. “And look who I brought with me!”

Anne was coming up the stairs just behind them. She wore a very dark, almost night-sky purple suit with black lapels, an elegant white cravat, and delicate gold embroidery around the cuffs and hems. Her pants were tucked into knee-high boots of a fine black leather with gold buckles. The whole look was finished off by a small capelet with a gold epaulet and chain across one shoulder. And she wore no hat or cape to cover her ears.

“Hi guys,” said Anne, waving shyly to the mesmerized crowd. “It’s me, the Saintess, or whatever.”