He stood in the center of his study for a few moments, letting the weight of the knowledge he had just been entrusted with sink in. How could he have ever believed her to be a spy? He knelt and picked up the dagger from its place on the floor and stared at it. The significance of the pledge he had made fresh in his mind. He had chosen a side. It was official. And, though he had chosen the side that he had always known he would, the decision felt no less monumental.

But he had promised her a vow of silence and so now he was expected to return to his daily routine and attend to his business while ignoring the pervasive fact that there was a princess bustling away in his kitchens. He made a move to sit behind his desk and do some work but there were too many thoughts racing through his mind so he decided to read. He pulled a book from the shelf at random and flipped it open. He read the first paragraph.

Why was he feeling so restless? Sure, the events of the morning had frayed his nerves but they were over now and he knew the truth. Perhaps his mind was at rest but his heart was not.

He cleared his throat and read the first paragraph again, having been unable to focus on it the first time.

Had he imagined that spark of unexplained electricity that surged between them whenever they so much as lightly brushed against each other? Was he alone in the feeling that it had never been so easy nor so exhilarating to simply speak to someone? She had given inkling indications that she felt it too. The pulling away when his hand brushed hers after lingering there perhaps a bit too long, the way she smiled at him when he addressed her. Had she been anyone else, he would have been nearly certain of her affections. But she was an enigma to him, so vexingly perplexing and yet she was a mystery that he felt both that he desperately needed to solve and that he could spend the rest of his life trying to and never would. But there was so much keeping them apart. She had been a servant. Now she was a princess. In all honesty, Sterling wasn't so sure which of those created the biggest impossibility.

He scanned the words of the paragraph before him for a third time.

What would she do if he simply threw caution to the wind and expressed those confusing feelings that hid themselves so well in his heart that he could not decipher them himself? What would she say? Whether or not she felt the same way, would it matter? Did either of them even truly have any control over their individual fates?

He shut the book and slammed it onto the desk in front of him, refusing to attempt the paragraph for the fourth time. He sighed, stood from his chair, and walked to his window, lost in thought.

She was the princess of Isalovia. It was widely known and accepted throughout the country that she was to be married to Prince Lucien to bond their two countries in peace. No doubt Baliene had been her intended destination on the night that her wagon was ambushed and she was sent running through the woods to find him. She was a princess practically betrothed and he was a country lord. He was being foolish to even consider action upon his feelings, whatever they might be. He turned to go back to his desk to attempt some work but something caught his eye and he stopped.

Sitting on the window sill, small and insignificant, was a little paper bird. He reached for it and held it up to the light. She had made him this. She had taken the time to craft something in an effort to make him smile. Maybe it would have been insignificant to anyone else, maybe it was even insignificant to her, but for him it pushed him finally to the realization he had been avoiding since that first day in the woods. No matter how foolish it was, no matter how impossible, he was certain of one thing. He was in love.

There was a knock on his door and he jumped, jolted from his reverie. He sat the paper bird on the bookshelf in the empty spot of the Cloutier book heh ad given her and bid his guest enter. He smiled when Adelaide entered but was surprised to see her husband follow her in. The Duke closed the door tightly behind him as Sterling rushed forward to shake his hand.

"Duke Griffith," Sterling exclaimed as he approached. "It's wonderful to see you. I wasn't aware you were coming."

The Duke smiled kindly.

"It seems my wife and I have a bit of business to discuss with you, my Lord. Do you have a moment?"

"Of course, please sit."

Sterling ushered the Duke and Duchess to the seats across from his desk and went to sit at his own.

"It appears my wife has taken a liking to one of your servants," the Duke began as they sat and Sterling looked to his cousin who was watching him carefully. "A girl by the name of Brenna, I believe. It has come to our attention that a distant relative of hers so happens to be a servant on my own grounds. So Adelaide has requested that I come and offer the girl a position at my estate so that she may be close to what little family she has. Of course, I wouldn't pilfer one of your servants without asking you properly first but I don't imagine it should be an issue. She is a simple kitchen maid after all. I will happily reimburse you for the labor you will lose as you seek to fill the position if you tell me a fair sum."

The Duke had pulled a checkbook from his breast pocket and now bent forward to fetch a pen from Sterling's desk in an effort to write him a check. Sterling looked at his cousin.

"A distant relative," he said, watching her closely. She pursed her lips and stared right back. He sighed. "You know."

The surprise on her face was evident.

"She told you?" she asked.

"Just this morning," he answered. "Though I'm ashamed to say I practically forced it out of her. How do you know?"

"I recognized her from my time in the palace."

He chuckled and nodded. "Of course."

The Duke put his checkbook back into his breast pocket, looking relieved, and spoke. "Good. Now we can dispense with all the acting and discuss the true matter at hand. You know how much danger the girl is in. If the wrong person were to discover her identity, it could be disastrous. As a declared loyalist of the King, I feel that it is my responsibility to ensure her protection. I need to know where your loyalties lie, Lord Huntington."

"With the King," he answered. "And the rightful heir to the throne who just so happens to be working away in my kitchens at the moment."

"I believe your intentions are true," the Duke said carefully. "But the princess approached my wife to tell her that she did not feel safe here so I am afraid that I have serious reservations about the safety of-"

"She said that?" Sterling was looking at his cousin. The Duchess sighed.

"Cora threatened her. And Theodore-" she glanced at her husband. "You know what Theodore did."

"What did Theodore do?" the Duke asked, looking between them and sensing the secret there.

"He made an unwanted advance on her," Sterling said. The Duke's mouth dropped open.

"Did he touch her?"

"Slightly."

"Do you have any idea what the punishment for-"

"He didn't know she was a princess. Nor did I but I gave him a piece of my mind for it all the same."

The room fell silent for a moment as they all considered the situation they were in.

"I would feel better to hear from the princess herself if she would like to stay or come with us," the Duke said tactfully after a moment.

"I quite agree. She should have her choice," Sterling said. Then he rose and called out. "Arthur!"

The boy appeared in an instant.

"Bring Brenna to me."

The boy nodded and hurried off to do as he was told. When the girl appeared, Sterling sent Arthur away. The moment the door closed behind her, the Duke was kneeling.

"Princess Briar," he said. "I am so very grateful to find you safe and unharmed."

"The Duke of Corinth," the princess correctly surmised after making eye contact with the Duchess. "I'm pleased to meet you. Please, rise. That's quite unnecessary."

The Duke got to his feet and Sterling and Adelaide exchanged a look of amusement at having seen such an important man kneel at the feet of a girl in a kitchen maid's uniform.

"Your Grace," the Duke started.

"Please, call me Briar," she said kindly but the Duke seemed positively scandalized by the very thought.

"My wife has informed me that you requested our help in extricating yourself from this estate after some... unpleasantness with its occupants," the Duke said and Briar looked at Sterling with apology in her eyes.

"Lord Huntington, I'm so sorry. I meant no offense, I only-"

"My family has not been kind to you," he told her in understanding, though it broke his heart to say the words. "If you wish to leave, I cannot blame you."

"But you have been kind to me," she said, taking a step forward. "And I am eternally grateful."

She gazed into his eyes and he was entranced. They stared at each other for a moment, neither of them speaking. Sterling wanted to beg her not to go, plea with her to remain here with him, but he knew that was not a fair request. She would be safer at the Duke's and wouldn't have to parade around as a common kitchen maid.

"Ahem," the Duke cleared his throat and both of them jumped, remembering that they were not the only ones in the room. "I do not intend to pressure you into making your decision at this very moment, Your Grace. I had hoped that Lord Huntington would allow my wife and I to spend a weekend in the country as his guests?"

"Yes, of course," Sterling told him. "You are always welcome in Northbrook."

"Perhaps we should get settled in," Adelaide said, staring directly at Sterling. "I am sure that the two of you have much to discuss."

"I'm afraid I should return to the kitchens," Briar said. "Servants start to gossip if a lord shows one of his female servants a bit too much attention and I'm afraid they only ever think of one reason for such attentions."

Sterling felt himself blushing furiously and cursed himself for it.

"As you wish," he said and she smiled and left the room. They listened to her footsteps disappearing down the hall and then Adelaide rounded on him.

"They've grown stronger," she said accusingly.

"What have?" he asked.

"Your feelings for her."

"Adelaide, when I told you that I had feelings for her she was a servant."

"Yes. And now she's a princess! You are a lord. Princesses marry nobility all the time."

"She is promised to Prince Lucien of Baliene."

"Not formally. If you told her how you felt-"

"I have a duty to serve her, protect her, and keep her safe. Not to add to her growing list of problems."

"Problems? How could-"

"He's right, dear," the Duke said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's not his place."

She whirled around to face him, then turned back to Sterling, amazed.

"You're both fools!" she exclaimed and then headed for the door, slamming it loudly behind her as she went. She nearly ran straight into Arthur who had his hand poised to knock but sidestepped him at the last moment. He watched her go in surprise and then turned to face Sterling and the Duke.

"Dinner is ready, my Lord," Arthur told him. "I informed Mrs. Woods of the extra guests."

Sterling thanked the boy and then he and the Duke dutifully followed him from the study to the dining room to find that Cora and Theodore were already there. The Duchess was there as well, arms crossed and brooding as Cora confusedly tried to speak with her.

"Duke," Theodore spoke as they all took their seats. "What a pleasant surprise. What brings you to Northbrook?"

"My wife and I desired a peaceful stay in the country," the Duke answered. "But I could ask you the same question, Mr. Huntington."

That was enough to set Theodore off on his tales of adventure. Soon after he began, the soup arrived and it was evident that the princess herself would be their attendant for dinner this evening. Adelaide stared at him coolly every time she served him. It set his nerves on edge.

"Have you chosen a wife yet, Sterling?" Cora asked suddenly and Sterling choked on his soup which seemed to amuse Adelaide as much as it scandalized his sister.

"Do you remember our previous discussion on the subject?" he asked through gritted teeth, hoping to remind her of the decree he had made which stated that she was not to interfere in his affairs.

"I do," she said, turning her icy glare to Briar who had moved forward silently to clean the mess he had made.

"That's enough," he growled low in warning.

"I was only asking if you'd given it any more thought. I think-"

Suddenly, the sound of harsh, violent banging sounded from the foyer and a cacophony of voices accompanied it. Sterling stood, tossing down his napkin.

"What the bloody hell is that?" the Duke inquired. Sterling strode from the dining room, through the hall, and to the foyer. His dinner guests followed out of curiosity. The banging had been a knocking on the front door. He opened it to see a red faced, mustachioed man being held back by Douglas. The man was shouting unintelligibly. When Sterling opened the door, he pointed behind him and started flinging his fists wildly through the air. Douglas had to step in front of him and use his weight to hold him back. Sterling followed his pointed finger to see his brother was the one indicated. Theodore was wide eyed and staring.

"Sir," Sterling said in an effort to calm him. "Please, calm yourself. We cannot understand what you are saying."

The man stilled, took a breath, and then at the top of his lungs shouted. "That man slept with my wife!"

There were gasps behind him. Sterling felt the rage rising in him again as he calmly said. "Please wait for me in my study. We will have this matter settled. Douglas."

Douglas nodded and escorted the man through the foyer and up the stairs to the study. He glared at his brother throughout the whole ascent.

"Sterling," Theodore started desperately. "She said her husband was in the army. Stationed in Baliene. I didn't-"

"Get out."

"What?"

"Get out!" he turned on his brother in rage.

"Sterling, please-" Cora piped in from behind him. He turned to her.

"Do you want to go with him?" he asked. She fell silent and he approached his brother. "I have enough to deal with without my family creating problems for me. I am going to go upstairs and deal with your mess. When I am finished, you will no longer be here. You will leave and you will not return until you have gotten yourself together."

Then he turned and headed for the stairs. When he was halfway up them, Cora called out. "Sterling, your dinner-"

"I've lost my appetite."