There was a searing pain in her back, right between her shoulder blades. Directly in the middle of her. When she bent over to collect the dirty clothes the pain grew. When she stood straight to fold the clean ones, it lessened. The pain accompanied the ache that stayed put in her stomach from where Adam had tried to gut her. On the precipice of what should be her strongest moment, Addie's body was weak.

The weeks began to drag on. Addie was stuck in an awkward limbo in every possible way. Not only was she a princess about to break free from working as a housemaid to pursue a life of royalty, but she was also a woman falling in love with a man she could neither have nor even speak to.

She did not know who she was.

The night of the incident with Adam brought forth a poignant realization for Addie. Men held power regardless of what class they were born in. They did nothing to earn that power but instead were granted it by being born with specific anatomy. Women, on the other hand, were consistently bred to be weak, even when they were meant to be strong.

And since that night, reminders constantly assaulted her that even the best of men held a power over her that she couldn't help. Despite being born as second in line for the English throne, a mere footman could overpower her body, and a duke could overwhelm her heart. For about a week, Addie couldn't help but feel a little helpless to it all.

Adam had broken something inside her; she would be the first to admit that. But her broken pieces quickly became a weapon for her, and her alone, to wield. Suffering under his hand and the force of his body only hardened her resolve to go forward with Andrew's plan. She may have been born a woman, but Addie knew she was anything but weak.

Addie did have a voice. A voice that she knew people would listen to.

She didn't know who she was, but Addie knew where she had come from. Her voice was the one she had developed when she was just a young princess, sitting along the garden wall at Bushy House. It was the voice that she had learned from her mother, who had always said and done the right things. It was the voice that her father would have applauded.

And so, in her mind, Addie began to compose a symphony of thoughts that she wanted to be heard. Of ideas that she wanted to be held. And of hopes that she wanted to be hoisted.

Unfortunately, however, Addie's symphony was not loud enough to drown out the thoughts of Theo. When she would see him in the hallways, he would not so much as give her a smile to acknowledge her presence. In fact, he was so cold that Addie had begun to grow legitimately concerned that he was upset with her. She wished to apologize for pushing him away that night in his bedchamber, and to apologize again for keeping him in the dark. But she didn't dare pull him aside to speak to him about it or to find out if he was truly angry.

So she forced herself to put that out of her mind. She could do nothing to either confirm or deny it. But it didn't stop her mind from filling with memories of him. With her. Against her.

Goddammit.

Addie was utterly and shamefully falling in love with Theodore Shepard.

But she wasn't naive enough to believe that there was a future for the two of them. Even if Theo did love her, how could they ever be together? If she remained hidden from the world as she was now, her low rank would keep them apart. And if she is revealed as royalty, everyone close to her would be at risk.

Addie's experiences with men were a hopeless mess. It was something she had accepted long ago. She refused to live her life wishing for something that could never happen. So, during the day while she was cleaning the parlor or changing the sheets, she was able to forget about Theodore Shepard. But it was at night that she couldn't escape him, that she couldn't keep him from her dreams.

Dreams were a fickle thing. Meant to be chased, they often chased you right back when they seemed impossible to reach.

Addie forced herself to focus on the things she could control. Words played over and over in her head as she continued on in her monotony. While her body grew weary from the cycle of endless chores, her mind grew strong as she prepared to come out of the shadows.

Andrew was busy working on writing the political commentaries that she would sign her name to, and she had no qualms about this. Andrew was far more experienced in that regard, and while Addie would review the documents before agreeing to anything, she knew that in all likelihood she would concur with the words he wrote. Andrew had years of experience in getting people to listen to him, and it was at this moment that they needed to exert that power in any way they could.

But Addie also wanted something that was all hers. She wanted the king, and the entire country, to read the words that had come directly from her pen.

She was careful not to write anything down; this was too dangerous a game for that. Instead, she kept her words tucked in her head, ready to be deployed the minute that Andrew signaled it was time. And after what seemed like years of waiting, that signal finally came.

One evening, Addie was cleaning up after dinner when Theo brushed casually up against her as he was leaving the dining room. Leaning in close, he quickly breathed in her ear, "Tonight. Midnight. Meet me in the back."

She nodded once, ignoring the warmth that overcame her at his closeness. Seeing that she understood, Theo walked briskly away, not giving another glance or word. Addie took a deep breath and tried to focus on the task at hand lest the dishes should become pieces on the floor. But regardless of her calm demeanor and focused breathing, Addie was a bundle of nerves.

It wasn't necessarily that she was nervous. Somewhere along the way, she had become excited. No, not excited. She had become inflamed, awakened, and roused from the numb woman she had been living as. It was her turn now to live as she was meant, and she was ready.

Addie dressed carefully as she prepared to meet Theo. First, she put on her mother's necklace. For once it wasn't hanging beneath her threads but laying proudly where people could see, the color of it matching perfectly with her ensemble.

She wore the dress she had the night of the accident. It was a rosy hue with threads of gold running through the bodice, and it gathered right above her waist before flowing gently down her body. It hung a little looser on her than it had before, but that was only to be expected. It had been painstaking to wash the stains of blood and dirt out of the fabric, to fix the rips and tears in the folds, but she had been determined to hold onto the only shred of her past she had.

But that wasn't entirely true. Her clothes were not what made her a princess, after all.

She swept her hair into a simple chignon and quickly peeked at her reflection in a mirror. It would have to do. Throwing her heavy cloak over her, she whisked out the back door of Kingfield House.

Theo was waiting for her, dressed in dark hues and leaning against an unmarked carriage. His buckskin breeches hugged his muscled legs as they came down to meet the top of his boots. A loose linen shirt peaked through his dress coat. His usually clean-shaven face looked as if it had a bit of stubble on it, and Addie decided that the Duke of Kingfield appeared nearly dangerous, standing there in the alley.

Her heart jumped into her throat in response.

Theo barely acknowledged her as she strode out to meet him, instead opening the carriage door to quickly summon her.

Ensconced in darkness, they did not speak as they traveled through the city. The air was thick between them, and Addie wondered if he felt it, too. She longed to cut the tension, to break the seal that lingered. But Addie was too awash with nerves to say anything.

Upon arriving, they were quickly ushered inside the Weston residence and brought to the same room as before. At the door, Addie turned to Theo.

"Would you mind terribly if I had a word with Andrew alone first?" she asked him quietly.

Theo studied her face for a moment before conceding.

"Yes, of course." He leaned against the wall casually. "I will be here if you need anything."

Addie smiled her gratitude and gave his arm a quick squeeze before turning to walk away. But Theo grabbed onto the hand that she'd placed on him, holding her fast. Pausing, Addie glanced back at him. His green eyes connected with hers as Theo took her in, gazing silently. A soft smile spread over his own expression, and he lifted his other hand to brush a stray curl behind her ear.

"I've missed you," he said before letting his hand drop.

Her throat threatened to close. Her mouth opened and closed as she gaped at him. God, she loved this man. "Theo, I—"

"Shh," he said, shaking his head. "Go on."

She did, walking into the chamber. It looked very much as it had before, shrouded in a hazy light from the glow of the candles. Andrew was reclined in a chair in the corner but stood as he saw her. He waved a servant over to remove her cloak before taking her hands and clasping them between his, giving her a warm welcome. The same fire that had grown within her glowed in his pupils.

"Andrew, I wished to ask something of you," she began.

"Anything, Your Highness."

"I have been thinking..." Addie said before trailing off, suddenly unsure of how to explain what she wanted to say.

Andrew tilted his head, encouraging her with his eyes.

Addie took a deep breath.

"It is just that there are a few words that I would like to share as well, in addition to your commentaries," Addie said.

Andrew grinned. "First of all, they are our commentaries, my dear. Secondly, of course, you should share your words too. They are the ones that matter most," he replied with ease. "Do you have them written down?"

Addie shook her head. "No, I was afraid of what would happen if someone found them. I have been writing them in here." Addie pointed to her head.

Andrew nodded. "Smart girl. I will keep your words safe if you write them here, though."

Within moments, Andrew had procured materials for her to write down the thoughts that had been floating in her head. He sat back in his chair as she wrote, quietly sipping his drink. It only took a few breaths for her to transpose the words from her mind to the paper, for all the times that she had rehearsed it subconsciously.

"Would you like to read it?" Addie asked Andrew when she was finished. To her surprise, Andrew shook his head in response.

"It is not for me to decide if what you have to say is worth hearing, Your Highness. If it is worth hearing, it will be heard. But, perhaps, when everyone arrives, you could present your thoughts to us."

Not for the first time, Addie was grateful for his support.

Andrew strode to the door, dismissing the servant on his way, and invited in the group that had gathered outside the door. Theo was the first to walk in, slightly tense in his stride and the clench of his jaw. He glimpsed her from the corner of his eye before attending to finding a chair.

Slowly, the others trickled in, sitting down as they did. When Addie noted that Lord Farrington, Lord Trotten, Lord Clemonte, and Lady Humphries were all accounted for, she expected their meeting to begin. But it did not. She looked expectantly at Andrew, but all he did was give her a slight wink.

The door banged its way open once more, and Addie broke into a broad smile at the woman who emerged from behind it. Andrew's expression was much the same.

The same couldn't be said for the others.