Celeste always appeared happy.
She wore a graceful smile as naturally as she wore her crown, pleasant and composed without ever allowing it to become a full grin in the presence of anyone who was not family.
There had been few occasions when she had laughed with complete abandon in public. Her wedding to her darling husband had been one. The birth of her beloved daughter had been another.
Now, standing in her private dressing chambers, Celeste was grinning from ear to ear.
Her younger sister stood before her holding hands with a thoroughly blushing southern baron.
Celeste could not tell whether Aurelian's flushed face was because Seraphina was holding his hand or because he had just been brought into the queen's private dressing chambers.
Either possibility delighted her.
“Am I the first to know?”
She barely gave them time to answer before crossing the room and pulling Seraphina into a tight embrace.
“Congratulations to you both!”
Seraphina stiffened slightly at the enthusiasm, though she made no attempt to escape.
Celeste had worried about her sister for years. After what that damned bastard had done to their family, she had wondered whether Seraphina would ever allow anyone close enough to consider marriage at all.
Yet somehow, her stubborn younger sister had taken the initiative and proposed marriage to a previously unknown southern baron.
It sounded like something from one of the fairy tales Serena had adored when she was younger.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Aurelian bowed, uncertain what else he ought to do.
Celeste released her sister and turned toward him. Before he could prepare himself, she wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug.
Aurelian froze.
“You remember our conversation before you left the capital?” she asked quietly.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I meant what I said then. You still have my blessing.”
Aurelian's expression softened with gratitude, though he looked no less embarrassed by the attention.
“Your Majesty,” he began carefully, “there is actually something else we should explain. About the... arrangement we have decided upon.”
His nervousness returned immediately.
Seraphina reached for his hand again, giving his fingers a gentle squeeze.
“Let me explain,” she said.
Without further delay, she laid out the terms they had agreed upon.
They would remain engaged for one year, during which they would court properly and determine whether marriage was truly what they both wanted. Either would be free to reconsider, and if Aurelian chose to withdraw, House Bellafonte would face no retaliation or political consequences.
Celeste listened quietly, her smile fading into something more thoughtful.
Of course.
Seraphina had given him an escape.
Not because she expected him to use it, but because she understood what her position might mean to someone like Aurelian.
She was a duchess, one of the highest-ranking nobles beneath the royal family, with enough titles and influence to make even powerful men hesitate before opposing her. Aurelian was a southern baron who had spent most of his life far removed from imperial court politics.
It would have been easy for him to feel that refusing her was impossible.
So Seraphina had made certain that it was not.
Celeste's gaze softened.
How admirable.
Entirely unnecessary, in her opinion, but admirable nevertheless.
Aurelian simply had not realized his own feelings yet.
Celeste remembered their conversation before he left the capital. The nervousness, the admiration, and the way his expression changed whenever her sister was mentioned had been rather telling.
The poor man was simply several steps behind everyone else.
“Also,” Seraphina said, interrupting her thoughts, “you are not to announce this yet.”
Celeste blinked.
“We intend to keep the engagement private until after the ball.”
Seraphina gave her a pointed look.
“You are notoriously bad with surprises.”
“I am perfectly capable of keeping a secret.”
Seraphina continued staring at her.
Celeste frowned.
An official announcement still needed to be prepared. They would also need to decide which details of their unusual arrangement would remain private and what, if anything, could safely be made public.
The court certainly did not need to know that Baron Bellafonte had been given the opportunity to end his engagement to one of the most powerful women in the empire.
Celeste lifted one hand solemnly.
“I promise to keep this secret for as long as I can.”
Seraphina's eyes narrowed.
“For as long as you can?”
Celeste smiled.
“You have my word.”
· · ─ ·☽𖤓☾· ─ · ·
After discussing a few other matters, the three eventually made their way to one of the palace parlors—a room Aurelian suspected he would never have been permitted to enter without being personally escorted by the queen and the duchess.
It was considerably less formal than the other rooms he had seen within the palace. Rather than stiff rows of ornate chairs and carefully arranged tables, the chamber resembled an enormous family sitting room. Several couches and armchairs had been gathered around low tables, fireplaces burned warmly along the walls, and attendants moved quietly between the guests carrying trays of wine, brandy, and whiskey.
Of course, what the royal family considered an informal gathering still appeared to consist almost entirely of nobles important enough to make Aurelian instinctively straighten his posture.
He recognized only a handful of faces.
King Richard was one of them.
The king stood near one of the fireplaces speaking with several older gentlemen when the doors closed behind the new arrivals. His dark eyes immediately lifted toward the entrance and settled upon his wife.
Richard excused himself from the conversation without hesitation.
Celeste smiled as he approached.
He took her hand and placed a gentle kiss against her knuckles.
Celeste giggled.
Aurelian blinked.
He was beginning to realize that the severe king he saw at official functions and the man Queen Celeste knew privately were apparently two very different people.
“Look who I found,” Celeste said brightly.
She stepped aside, directing Richard's attention toward the two people behind her.
The king gave his sister-in-law a brief nod and simple greeting before his gaze moved to Aurelian, who was already bowing without hesitation.
He was getting better at this.
“Bellafonte. You have returned.”
“I would never dare miss Your Majesty's celebration.”
“You would not have been permitted to.”
Aurelian raised his head.
Richard's expression remained completely serious.
For several seconds, Aurelian could not determine whether the king was joking.
Richard knew perfectly well that if the baron had attempted to remain in Bellafonte, either his wife or Seraphina would have found some method of bringing him back to the capital.
Possibly both.
They had each taken a considerable liking to the man.
Which, by extension, meant Richard supposed he ought to tolerate him as well.
“Do you drink?”
“Occasionally, Your Majesty.”
Richard lifted a hand.
An attendant passing nearby stopped immediately, carrying a silver tray of amber-colored drinks. Richard took one of the whiskey glasses and held it toward Aurelian.
Aurelian stared at it for half a second.
His first instinct was to politely refuse.
His second reminded him that this was the king of Evelina personally offering him a drink.
When the king gave you whiskey, you accepted the whiskey.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
He received the glass carefully.
Richard glanced toward his wife.
“I am taking Bellafonte with me.”
Celeste's eyebrows rose. “Are you?”
“He should meet some of my confidants.”
Aurelian's grip tightened slightly around the glass.
That sounded considerably more intimidating than simply having whiskey with the king.
He glanced toward Seraphina.
She gave him the slightest nod.
Aurelian took that as reassurance and followed Richard toward the group of gentlemen gathered beside the fireplace.
Celeste watched him go with obvious satisfaction.
“Richard likes him,” she said.
Seraphina looked at her.
“You cannot give him up now, my precious little sister.”
“I have no intention of doing so.”
Celeste smiled knowingly.
“Good.”
“But he is free to change his mind.”
The queen sighed dramatically.
“You are determined to make it difficult for me to meddle.”
“That would be preferable.”
Celeste shook her head.
She understood her sister's reasoning perfectly well.
That did not mean she intended to stop teasing her about it.
The two women moved farther into the parlor, where several noble ladies had gathered while waiting for the ballroom doors to open.
The atmosphere was considerably more relaxed than an official court gathering, and conversation drifted easily from the king's birthday celebrations to recent arrivals in the capital, winter fashions, marriages, children, and the endless movements of noble society.
One older countess eventually turned toward Seraphina.
“Your Grace, I admit I am surprised to see you attending so many festivities this season.”
Seraphina raised an eyebrow. “Am I particularly unsociable?”
A few women laughed.
“You know what I mean,” the countess replied. “There was a time when half the unmarried gentlemen in Evelina attempted to catch your attention.”
“And failed,” another woman added.
“Spectacularly.”
Celeste covered a smile behind her glass.
The first countess shook her head fondly.
“I simply assumed Her Grace had decided marriage held no interest for her whatsoever.”
Celeste answered before thinking.
“That is no longer a concern. My sister is finally engaged.”
The room went silent.
Not gradually.
Completely.
Aurelian, standing halfway across the parlor with King Richard and several of his confidants, froze with his whiskey glass halfway toward his mouth.
Richard slowly turned his head.
Seraphina stared at her sister.
Celeste's smile remained in place for approximately two seconds.
Then it disappeared.
Her eyes widened.
Seraphina's expression became dangerously calm.
“Celeste.”
It was the first time Aurelian had ever heard the duchess address the queen in a manner that sounded suspiciously like a warning.
Celeste lowered her glass.
“I may have spoken prematurely.”
“You promised.”
“I did.”
“Less than an hour ago.”
“Yes.”
Another few seconds of silence passed.
Then someone finally recovered enough to speak.
“Her Grace is engaged?”
The question seemed to break whatever spell had fallen over the room.
Several women immediately turned toward Seraphina, speaking over one another in their haste.
“To whom?”
“When did this happen?”
“Has an announcement been made?”
“Why have we heard nothing?”
Celeste opened her mouth.
Seraphina looked at her.
Celeste wisely closed it again.
Unfortunately, the damage had already been done.
One of the ladies asked again, “Who is the gentleman?”
Celeste hesitated.
Then, entirely without meaning to, her gaze drifted across the room.
Directly toward Aurelian.
Aurelian's stomach dropped.
Every nearby head followed the queen's gaze.
The ladies looked at him.
The gentlemen beside Richard looked at him.
Several attendants looked at him.
Even Richard looked at him.
Aurelian stood completely still, whiskey glass clutched in one hand, and experienced the distinct sensation that his soul had momentarily departed his body.
Someone whispered,
“Baron Bellafonte?”
Another voice followed almost immediately.
“The southern baron?”
A third came from somewhere behind him.
“Duchess Vaelmont is engaged to Baron Bellafonte?”
Aurelian slowly looked toward Seraphina.
She was still staring at her sister.
Celeste offered a small, apologetic smile.
Seraphina's icy expression did not change.
The secret had not even survived until the beginning of the ball.
It had barely survived an hour.
Unfortunately, that was more than enough time for it to become the most interesting piece of information in the imperial palace.
Once the initial shock passed, the parlor erupted.
“Congratulations, Your Grace!”
“Baron Bellafonte, is it true?”
“Has a date been chosen?”
“Will the ceremony be held here or in the north?”
Aurelian had no idea which question he was supposed to answer first.
He barely had time to set aside the whiskey King Richard had given him before people began approaching from every direction.
Some offered sincere congratulations. A few of the older nobles who had met him during his previous season seemed genuinely pleased, while others simply appeared delighted that months of rumors had finally resulted in something substantial.
Others were considerably less enthusiastic.
Aurelian noticed the glances.
The brief pauses.
The surprised expressions that disappeared beneath polite smiles the moment Seraphina looked in their direction.
Duchess Seraphina Vaelmont and Baron Aurelian Bellafonte.
The difference between them had apparently become fascinating.
“Baron Bellafonte.”
Aurelian turned toward an elderly lord whose name escaped him.
The man smiled pleasantly enough.
“Will you be relocating north after the marriage?”
Aurelian blinked.
“I—”
“We have not discussed that yet,” Seraphina answered from beside him.
The lord's attention immediately shifted to her.
“Of course, Your Grace.”
He bowed and retreated.
Aurelian glanced sideways.
Seraphina had barely left his side since the announcement.
He was beginning to suspect that was intentional.
The realization was strangely comforting.
Unfortunately, her presence could not stop the whispers.
They spread faster than the congratulations.
Some claimed Aurelian must have deliberately pursued Seraphina from the moment they met. Others suggested the Bellafontes had recognized the political advantage of a connection to House Vaelmont and encouraged the relationship.
There were questions about southern trade, northern investments, and whether Aurelian would abandon his territory entirely to live comfortably from his future wife's wealth.
A few even wondered whether Seraphina had somehow been placed in a position where marriage had become necessary.
That particular suggestion died quickly whenever she came within hearing distance.
And, naturally, there were those who quietly remarked that Seraphina was marrying far beneath her station.
Aurelian tried not to listen.
He was not particularly successful.
“What have you done?”
Aurelian glanced toward the sound of Seraphina's voice.
Several feet away, Celeste stood beside her sister with an expression that contained remarkably little guilt.
“I congratulated you.”
“You announced our engagement to half the imperial court.”
“Accidentally.”
“An announcement we had specifically agreed to postpone.”
Celeste lifted her chin.
“They were going to discover it eventually.”
“That was not the point.”
The queen sighed.
“Well, it saves you the trouble of telling everyone later.”
Seraphina stared at her.
“An apology would be a start.”
“I considered apologizing.”
“That is not the same thing.”
Celeste took a sip from her glass.
Aurelian turned away before either sister noticed the smile threatening at the corner of his mouth.
It was while doing so that he noticed another familiar face.
Marquis Adrian Leister stood near one of the tall windows overlooking the palace grounds.
He had apparently arrived only shortly before Celeste's unfortunate announcement and had been speaking with several gentlemen when the room fell silent.
Unlike nearly everyone else, Adrian had not immediately rushed forward.
He simply watched.
For a brief moment, his expression revealed nothing.
Adrian had known Seraphina was interested in Aurelian.
It would have been impossible not to know.
He had heard the rumors about their meetings and personally witnessed Seraphina cross an entire ballroom to ask the southern baron for a dance.
But interest was one thing.
Marriage was another.
Adrian had assumed her fascination would pass.
Seraphina had spent years surrounded by soldiers, politicians, noblemen, and powerful heirs without showing more than passing interest in any of them.
Aurelian Bellafonte was unusual.
Gentle.
Provincial.
Almost painfully sincere.
Adrian had believed that was precisely why Seraphina found him entertaining.
Something different.
Something temporary.
Apparently, he had been wrong.
His fingers tightened briefly around the stem of his glass.
Then relaxed.
By the time he crossed the room, his expression was warm once again.
“Baron Bellafonte.”
Aurelian visibly brightened.
“Marquis Leister.”
The relief in his voice was unmistakable.
Adrian smiled.
“I believe congratulations are in order.”
He inclined his head toward Seraphina first.
“Your Grace.”
“Marquis.”
Her response was perfectly courteous.
Nothing more.
Adrian then extended his hand toward Aurelian.
Aurelian accepted it immediately.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
Aurelian gave an embarrassed laugh.
“I admit this was not quite how we intended everyone to learn.”
“So I gathered.”
Adrian glanced briefly toward Queen Celeste.
Aurelian followed his gaze.
The queen was currently attempting to convince her sister that the announcement could have gone considerably worse.
“I suppose there are worse ways,” Aurelian murmured.
“I imagine there are.”
Adrian's smile remained easy.
“When was it decided?”
Aurelian hesitated.
“Recently.”
“Very recently,” Seraphina added.
“Then I am fortunate to have returned in time for the surprise.”
Adrian took another sip from his glass.
“Have the two of you been discussing marriage for long?”
Aurelian's expression immediately became uncertain.
“No. Not particularly.”
Interesting.
Adrian gave no indication that he noticed.
“And have you decided where you will reside? Bellafonte is a considerable distance from Vaelmont.”
“We have not made any decisions regarding our permanent residence,” Seraphina answered.
“Understandable.”
Adrian nodded thoughtfully.
“And the wedding? Has a date been selected?”
Aurelian nearly choked on nothing.
“The wedding?”
“Surely there must be some consideration of when the ceremony will take place.”
“Oh.”
Aurelian glanced toward Seraphina.
Seraphina glanced toward him.
“No,” Aurelian answered. “There is no date.”
Adrian smiled.
“Then I suppose everyone will simply have to remain patient.”
The conversation shifted soon afterward, but something about it lingered with Seraphina.
Her eyes remained on Adrian for a moment longer than necessary.
He had been perfectly polite.
Perfectly reasonable.
Anyone might have asked the same questions.
Yet there had been a precision to them she did not particularly like.
Aurelian, however, appeared completely unbothered.
If anything, seeing Adrian seemed to have relaxed him.
Seraphina filed the observation away.
She would think about it later.
For now, there were far too many nobles attempting to congratulate them.
And far too many attempting to discover information that was none of their concern.
· · ─ ·☽𖤓☾· ─ · ·
By the time Aurelian finally escaped the parlor, his head was beginning to ache.
He had answered the same questions so many times that he was no longer certain whether he had answered some of them aloud or merely imagined doing so.
No, they did not have a wedding date.
No, he was not moving permanently to Vaelmont tomorrow.
And no, Bellafonte had not negotiated the marriage in exchange for northern military support.
That particular question had nearly rendered him speechless.
Seraphina had been called away briefly by Celeste, who apparently wished to discuss how they might repair the damage caused by an announcement Celeste herself had made.
Aurelian had taken the opportunity to slip into a quieter corridor.
He leaned against the wall and exhaled.
“Overwhelmed?”
Aurelian opened his eyes.
Adrian stood several steps away.
Aurelian gave him a tired smile.
“Is it that obvious?”
“To someone paying attention.”
Adrian approached but stopped at a comfortable distance.
“You should be celebrating.”
“I am.”
Aurelian straightened.
“I mean—I think I am.”
Adrian's brow lifted slightly.
Aurelian immediately looked embarrassed.
“That sounded terrible.”
“I assumed you did not mean it that way.”
“Of course not.”
He looked down at his hands.
“It is simply... a great deal.”
“That is understandable.”
Aurelian looked at him.
Adrian leaned one shoulder lightly against the opposite wall.
He did not ask another question.
He simply waited.
That, more than anything, encouraged Aurelian to continue.
“The engagement happened rather quickly.”
“I suspected as much.”
“Her Grace and I have been writing to one another since I returned home. Then she sent me the proposal.”
Adrian's expression remained perfectly calm.
“She proposed to you?”
Aurelian nodded.
“By letter.”
“How very like her.”
That made Aurelian laugh softly.
“Yes. It was.”
The amusement faded gradually.
“I suppose everyone believes we will simply marry now.”
“You are engaged.”
“Yes, but...”
Aurelian stopped.
He knew he should not speak carelessly.
Seraphina had trusted him.
The arrangement was private.
Yet Adrian had always treated him kindly. He had never mocked Bellafonte or his interests. He had defended him before and offered advice when Aurelian struggled to understand the capital.
And right now, Aurelian desperately wanted the opinion of someone who was neither his family nor Seraphina's.
Another gentleman.
Someone who might tell him whether the uncertainty he felt was normal.
After checking that no one else was lingering in the corridor, Aurelian stepped closer to Adrian and lowered his voice.
“The engagement is somewhat unusual,” he admitted.
Adrian's expression remained mild.
“How so?”
Aurelian hesitated only a moment longer.
“It is for one year.”
Adrian went completely still.
Aurelian did not notice.
“Her Grace and I agreed that we would use that year to determine whether marriage is truly what we both want.”
Adrian watched him carefully.
“And afterward?”
“If we are certain, we marry.”
“And if you are not?”
Aurelian looked toward the nearby window.
“Then I am allowed to end it.”
There it was.
Adrian's pulse quickened.
He kept his face unchanged.
“The duchess agreed to that?”
“She suggested it.”
Aurelian smiled faintly.
“She wanted me to understand that I could refuse her.”
There was genuine affection in his voice now.
Admiration.
“She could have asked almost anything of me, Marquis. She is one of the most powerful women in the empire. Even my father was worried about what refusing someone of her position might mean for Bellafonte.”
Aurelian shook his head.
“But she made certain my family would suffer no consequences if I changed my mind.”
“And you admire her for that.”
“Very much.”
Adrian studied him.
There was warmth in Aurelian's expression whenever he spoke of Seraphina.
Yet there was uncertainty too.
He did not speak like a man who knew himself to be loved.
More importantly, he did not speak like a man certain of his own love.
Adrian chose his next words carefully.
“It sounds as though Her Grace has been very considerate.”
“She has.”
“Then I see no reason for you to feel guilty about being uncertain.”
Aurelian looked at him.
Adrian continued gently.
“Marriage is not a decision one should make simply because everyone around you expects it.”
Aurelian's shoulders relaxed slightly.
“You truly think so?”
“Of course.”
Adrian gave him a reassuring smile.
“You have a year. Use it.”
Aurelian was silent.
“Think about what you want your life to look like,” Adrian continued. “Where you wish to live. What responsibilities you are willing to accept. What you would have to leave behind. Marriage changes more than one's name or household.”
Aurelian nodded slowly.
That was exactly what had frightened him.
Bellafonte.
His parents.
His writing.
His farmers.
His home.
And Seraphina had an entire life of her own in the north and the capital.
“Do not mistake hesitation for cowardice,” Adrian said. “Taking this seriously is probably the most respectful thing you can do for both yourself and Her Grace.”
Aurelian looked genuinely relieved.
“Thank you.”
“There is nothing to thank me for.”
“There is.”
Aurelian smiled.
“I needed to hear that from someone who was not directly involved.”
Adrian returned the smile.
“Then I am glad I could help.”
Voices sounded from farther down the corridor.
Aurelian glanced toward them and immediately recognized Seraphina approaching.
“I should return.”
“Of course.”
Aurelian paused.
“And, Marquis?”
“Yes?”
“Please keep what I told you private.”
Adrian placed one hand lightly against his chest.
“You have my word.”
Aurelian smiled once more before walking away.
Adrian watched him go.
Only when the baron was well beyond hearing distance did his smile disappear.
Seraphina had given him one year.
Adrian had entered the palace believing he had lost before he had ever been given the opportunity to compete.
He had been wrong.
The engagement was not permanent.
There was an exit.
And Aurelian Bellafonte had just placed the key to it directly into his hand.
Attacking him openly would accomplish nothing.
Seraphina would defend him without hesitation. Queen Celeste clearly approved of the match. Even King Richard appeared to tolerate him far more than Adrian would have expected.
Worse, Aurelian had spent his first season in the capital collecting allies without seeming to realize he was doing it.
Servants liked him.
Older noblewomen liked him.
Several gentlemen who ordinarily dismissed provincial nobles had begun speaking favorably of him.
Every attempt to humiliate him publicly risked creating sympathy instead.
No.
That would be foolish.
Adrian glanced toward the end of the corridor.
Aurelian had reached Seraphina.
She stopped beside him and, without seeming to think about it, shifted slightly so there was space for him at her side.
Aurelian said something Adrian could not hear.
Seraphina's expression softened.
Only slightly.
Most people would not have noticed.
Adrian did.
His jaw tightened.
Aurelian smiled at whatever she said in response.
There was something between them.
Something stronger than the passing fascination Adrian had once imagined.
That much was becoming impossible to deny.
But Aurelian was uncertain.
And that uncertainty mattered far more than Seraphina's affection.
Adrian had heard enough in their conversation to know precisely what troubled the baron.
He did not need to invent fears where none existed.
He only needed to nurture the ones already there.
A reminder, from time to time, of how much higher Seraphina stood.
A question about whether a southern man could ever truly be happy in the north.
A sympathetic observation about everything Aurelian might have to leave behind.
Perhaps a suggestion that Seraphina's fascination would eventually fade once the novelty of him disappeared.
Nothing cruel.
Nothing obvious.
Only the concerns of a friend who wanted Aurelian to think carefully before sacrificing his future.
Adrian's expression slowly became pleasant again.
By the time Aurelian glanced back toward him, the gracious marquis had returned.
Adrian raised his glass.
Aurelian smiled and gave him a small nod before turning back to Seraphina.
Adrian watched them together across the corridor.
One year was a very long time.
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