Marian had been promised pastries.
There were no pastries.
There were horses.
She stared at the nearest horse with deep suspicion.
The horse stared back.
Neither trusted the other.
"This is fraud."
Beside her, Adrian didn’t even look up from the event program.
"It is not."
"You specifically said there would be refreshments."
"There are refreshments."
"There are horses."
"The two are not mutually exclusive."
Marian sighed dramatically.
No one appreciated her suffering.
Absolutely no one.
The Imperial Agricultural and Medical Exhibition stretched across the palace’s southern grounds.
Nobles wandered between displays.
Farmers showcased livestock.
Scholars discussed irrigation projects.
Physicians presented medical research.
And somehow Marian had ended up here.
On purpose.
A terrible mistake.
She should have stayed home.
With a book.
And cake.
Preferably both.
"I still don’t understand why I needed to attend."
Adrian folded the program.
"Your father requested it."
"My father also wants me to learn estate taxation."
"And?"
"I pretend not to hear him."
Adrian laughed.
Actually laughed.
The sound immediately made Marian smile.
It always did.
"One day you’ll inherit responsibilities."
"One day you’ll be Emperor."
"That is not the same thing."
"It is exactly the same thing."
"It absolutely isn’t."
Marian pointed toward a nearby livestock display.
"Look at that."
"What am I looking at?"
"A cow."
Adrian blinked.
"Yes."
"There are people discussing it."
"It’s an agricultural exhibition."
"They’re discussing it seriously."
The Crown Prince pinched the bridge of his nose.
Marian looked delighted.
"Do you know what this means?"
"I’m afraid to ask."
"We’ve officially run out of problems."
"We have not."
"Then why are there seminars about cows?"
Adrian shook his head.
The expression on his face was familiar.
A mixture of exasperation and affection.
Marian had seen it for years.
The look that said:
You are impossible.
The look that secretly meant:
And I wouldn’t change it.
Adrian reached over and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
A casual gesture.
Unthinking.
Comfortable.
The sort that only existed between people who had known each other forever.
"You should at least try to enjoy yourself."
"I am trying."
"You spent ten minutes insulting livestock."
"The livestock started it."
"The horse looked at you."
"Exactly."
Adrian laughed again.
And Marian felt absurdly pleased with herself.
There.
Mission accomplished.
If she could make Adrian laugh at least once a day, she considered the day successful.
The exhibition continued.
Slowly.
Painfully.
At least from Marian’s perspective.
Eventually she settled beneath a pavilion overlooking the central grounds.
Tea arrived.
Pastries finally appeared.
Her mood improved immediately.
Funny how that worked.
Across from her, Adrian reviewed documents.
Of course he did.
They were attending a public event.
Most people would use the opportunity to relax.
Adrian used it to work.
Marian sometimes worried about him.
Not seriously.
Just enough to occasionally shove sweets into his hands.
"You know," she said, sipping tea, "normal people don’t read reports during social events."
Adrian didn’t look up.
"Normal people don’t spend twenty minutes arguing with a horse."
"It was a debate."
"The horse won."
Marian gasped.
Betrayal.
Complete betrayal.
The prince finally smiled.
And once again Marian felt victorious.
That smile belonged to her.
At least for now.
The commotion began an hour later.
At first nobody noticed.
Then raised voices drifted across the exhibition grounds.
Servants hurried toward one of the livestock enclosures.
Several nobles followed.
Curious.
Concerned.
Adrian immediately stood.
Marian considered pretending not to notice.
Unfortunately, the Crown Prince possessed functioning morals.
A tragic condition.
"We should see what’s happening."
Marian sighed.
"Must we?"
"Yes."
"Fine."
They joined the crowd.
Near one of the larger stables, an expensive breeding horse had injured itself.
Nothing life-threatening.
But enough to create chaos.
The animal was frightened.
Handlers struggled to calm it.
Several nobles shouted contradictory instructions.
Marian took one look and immediately stepped backward.
Not because she was scared.
Because she had absolutely no idea what she was doing.
And unlike some people, Marian saw no shame in admitting that.
"What are they arguing about?" she asked.
"The injury."
"Can they fix it?"
"Probably."
"Excellent."
Marian prepared to leave.
Her contribution was complete.
Then someone pushed through the crowd.
A familiar figure.
Elena Hart.
Marian blinked.
The heroine moved quickly toward the injured horse.
Not recklessly.
Confidently.
Like someone accustomed to situations like this.
Several handlers immediately recognized her.
The tension shifted.
Questions flew.
Suggestions followed.
And within moments Elena was kneeling beside the animal.
Examining the injury.
Speaking calmly.
Patiently.
As though she had forgotten the dozens of nobles watching her.
Marian watched.
Interested despite herself.
Because Elena looked completely different.
At Countess Everett’s townhouse, she had seemed shy.
Nervous.
Almost timid.
Here?
Here she looked certain.
Focused.
Alive.
As though this was where she belonged.
"Huh."
The sound escaped before Marian realized it.
Beside her, Adrian didn’t respond.
Which was unusual.
Marian glanced sideways.
Then paused.
The Crown Prince was watching Elena.
Not intensely.
Not romantically.
Simply observing.
Thoughtfully.
The same way he studied military reports.
Or political proposals.
Or difficult problems.
Curious.
Marian immediately relaxed.
Of course.
Elena was doing something impressive.
Anyone would look.
Even she was looking.
The situation resolved quickly.
The horse calmed.
The handlers relaxed.
The crowd dispersed.
And Elena stood.
Only then seeming to remember that dozens of people had witnessed everything.
Color immediately rushed to her face.
Marian nearly laughed.
There she was again.
The shy girl from the tea gathering.
Not some enchanting heroine.
Just Elena.
Strangely endearing Elena.
"She’s talented."
Adrian’s voice broke the silence.
Marian nodded.
"Very."
The answer felt simple.
Harmless.
Nothing more than an observation.
And yet neither of them realized something had changed.
Only slightly.
Only a fraction.
Barely enough to matter.
The first time Adrian had noticed Elena at a banquet, she had been a curiosity.
Today she had become a person.
A real one.
Someone with strengths.
Passions.
Convictions.
Marian never noticed the difference.
Why would she?
After all, she still had eighteen years.
And Elena had only one afternoon.
Surely that mattered more.
Surely it always would.
The future Crown Princess smiled and reached for another pastry.
Completely unaware that fate had just taken another quiet step forward.