If there was one thing Marian hated more than politics, it was political luncheons.
At least political banquets had dancing.
Political luncheons had speeches.
Endless speeches.
"How much longer?"
Adrian didn’t look up from his glass.
"We’ve only been here twenty minutes."
Marian stared.
"You’re joking."
"I’m not."
"Twenty minutes feels illegal."
"Marian."
"I’m serious."
The Crown Prince sighed.
The sound carried years of experience.
Unfortunately for him, Marian was immune.
The Imperial Reform Committee had gathered at one of the palace’s smaller halls.
Nobles.
Officials.
Scholars.
Military representatives.
And somehow, Marian.
A mystery nobody could solve.
Including her.
Especially her.
She had spent the first ten minutes listening.
The second ten minutes daydreaming.
And the third ten minutes contemplating escape.
"You’re not paying attention."
"I’m observing."
"You were staring out the window."
"I was observing the weather."
"That is not the purpose of this meeting."
"It should be."
Adrian laughed quietly.
And despite herself, Marian smiled.
There it was again.
That familiar ease.
The comfortable rhythm they had built over years.
A rhythm that never required effort.
Never required thought.
Simply existed.
The realization made her happy.
As it always did.
The luncheon eventually moved into smaller discussion groups.
A development Marian considered a blessing.
At least now people would stop speaking to entire rooms.
She wandered toward one of the refreshment tables.
Primarily because refreshments were infinitely more interesting than policy.
A sensible conclusion.
In her opinion.
While selecting pastries, she spotted a familiar figure.
Elena.
The young healer stood near one of the windows.
Speaking with several physicians.
Looking entirely absorbed in the conversation.
Marian watched briefly.
Then shrugged.
Normal.
Elena was always discussing medical matters.
If Marian discussed gowns the way Elena discussed medicine, people would probably call it a personality trait.
Actually, they already did.
Never mind.
"Lady Marian."
Elena noticed her.
Immediately smiling.
The reaction still surprised Marian.
She wasn’t used to being greeted with enthusiasm.
Admiration?
Certainly.
Nervousness?
Constantly.
Enthusiasm?
Rarely.
"Miss Hart."
Elena approached.
Holding a notebook.
Of course she was.
"Are you enjoying the luncheon?"
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Elena laughed.
Actually laughed.
Not politely.
Not carefully.
Genuinely.
Marian felt oddly pleased.
At least someone appreciated honesty.
"Not a fan of political reform?"
"I survived one lifetime of work already."
Elena blinked.
Marian immediately corrected herself.
"A figure of speech."
"Ah."
That had been close.
Very close.
Sometimes she forgot.
Eighteen years later and she still occasionally forgot.
Elena looked amused.
"You really don’t enjoy these events, do you?"
"I enjoy the pastries."
"That’s all?"
"I enjoy Adrian."
Elena nearly choked.
Marian blinked.
Then laughed.
"Oh dear."
The healer looked horrified.
"I didn’t mean—"
"I know."
Unfortunately, Elena turning red was hilarious.
The poor girl looked seconds away from fleeing.
Marian almost felt bad.
Almost.
A short distance away, Adrian had been attempting to escape a conversation about grain tariffs.
A difficult task.
Primarily because the other person seemed enthusiastic.
A tragic condition.
Then he noticed something.
Marian.
And Elena.
Talking.
Laughing.
Getting along.
The sight made him pause.
Not because it was unusual.
Because it wasn’t.
The two women had gotten along surprisingly well since their first meeting.
Perhaps too well.
Most noblewomen treated Elena cautiously.
Marian simply treated her normally.
A quality Adrian appreciated.
Without thinking, he found himself walking toward them.
The realization only struck him afterward.
Strange.
"Your Highness."
Elena curtsied.
Marian looked disappointed.
"Now we’re going to discuss work."
"I wasn’t planning to."
"You always say that."
"Because it’s usually true."
"It never is."
Elena looked between them.
Then smiled again.
There it was.
That expression.
Amused.
As though she had stumbled into an entertaining story.
For some reason, Adrian found himself smiling back.
The conversation continued.
Effortlessly.
That was the strange part.
Effortlessly.
Most people spoke differently around him.
Carefully.
Respectfully.
Formally.
Elena simply spoke.
Not disrespectfully.
Not casually.
Just honestly.
As though she forgot he was the Crown Prince every few minutes.
It should have bothered him.
Instead, he found it refreshing.
Dangerously refreshing.
"So you really gathered herbs yourself?" Adrian asked.
Elena nodded.
"Of course."
"Even in winter?"
"Medicine doesn’t stop being necessary in winter."
A fair point.
One Adrian hadn’t considered.
Beside him, Marian looked horrified.
"You went into forests during winter?"
"Sometimes."
"Voluntarily?"
Elena blinked.
"Yes."
Marian stared.
Elena stared back.
Then both women laughed.
Completely different reasons.
Adrian found himself watching.
Not Elena.
Not Marian.
Both of them.
The contrast was fascinating.
Marian looked at life and asked:
Will this make me happy?
Elena looked at life and asked:
Will this help someone?
Neither answer was wrong.
Yet they felt profoundly different.
The thought lingered.
Longer than it should have.
The luncheon eventually ended.
People departed.
Conversations faded.
Responsibilities returned.
Life continued.
As expected.
Marian and Adrian walked through one of the palace gardens afterward.
A habit.
One of many.
The afternoon sun warmed the pathways.
Flowers bloomed along carefully maintained hedges.
Everything felt peaceful.
Comfortable.
Safe.
Marian slipped her hand into Adrian’s.
Without thinking.
He squeezed it automatically.
Without thinking.
Years of habit.
Years of familiarity.
Years of choosing each other.
"You’re quiet."
Adrian glanced toward her.
"Am I?"
"Yes."
"Perhaps I’m tired."
"That’s usually my excuse."
"It seems effective."
Marian smiled.
Then looked ahead.
Satisfied.
Completely unaware.
Because if she had looked back, she might have noticed something.
Not attraction.
Not longing.
Not love.
Nothing so dramatic.
Just a thought.
A tiny one.
A harmless one.
The realization that Adrian had enjoyed speaking with Elena.
Not because she was beautiful.
Not because she was special.
Because she made him think about things he normally never considered.
And somehow that was far more dangerous.
Far behind them, Elena watched the future Crown Prince and his fiancée disappear down the garden path.
Their hands intertwined.
Their shoulders touching.
Their smiles easy.
For a moment, she felt something warm.
Not jealousy.
Certainly not.
Something closer to admiration.
They really did look perfect together.
Then she turned away.
And thought nothing more of it.
The problem was that fate had already begun thinking for all of them.