I entered the parlour feeling aged. My eyes found Evie almost the second I stepped in, but I had to drag my attention away from her. I wanted to go over to her and kiss her hello and apologise that I hadn't seen her in the last few hours. But I wasn't allowed to.

Instead I forced my feet towards mother, who smiled at me as I approached. She had been playing cards with either Eloise or Cecily, but they both curtsied to me before leaving their chairs so I could sit. Together they disappeared back into the flood of girls.

"Is everything alright, Ganechka? Father said we might not see you all day." Mother took my hand with both of hers. I watched the tendons in them ripple. I knew I needed to socialise with the girls, but I needed at least one game with mother before I could declare myself ready.

By way of response, I shrugged. "It's not, but I can't talk about it here."

Her fair eyes darkened and her forehead creased. "So Fana's problem proves true."

Nodding, I took my hand out of hers to hold them properly. "But we'll solve it I promise. Now I'll finish this game with you seeing as I scared your opponents away. What are we playing?"

Mother smiled, her thumb running over my fingers. "Poker. It seems you have. Bright young girls they are."

I lifted the abandoned hand of cards, forcing my forehead to crease, mimicking mother's own face. "Unlucky ones though. I hope you haven't been rinsing the Debutantes for their family's fortune, your majesty."

"I know your game, your Highness." She fired back my title and I smirked.

We played a hand which I lost, unsurprisingly, and by the time I finished a few evening gowns containing women had gathered themselves behind me.

Mother put on her entertaining expression and I rolled my eyes. "Bad luck, Gavrila. Perhaps you'd stand a better chance against Serena or Amber."

I took that as my cue, forcing my mind to the mission.

"Well that is a theory I think we should see out." I smiled the smile I had practiced for the Debutantes and bowed slightly to Amber and Serena, who proudly separated themselves from the others.

I led them over to a different card table, one closer to the huge window, and dealt out the cards for poker again whilst they sat themselves down gently.

"Might I join?" I heard a musical voice ask.

"Of course." I said without looking up, the more Debutantes I could interrogate at once the better. I dealt out an extra hand and looked up to be met with feline like brown eyes.

No.

I couldn't do this.

Not with her.

But I had to and her eyes were gently searching mine and Serena and Amber had already taken up their cards and if I stared at Evie for one more second she looked like she'd cry.

"Shall we?" I announced, my voice sounding stale, my eyes not liking the cards nearly so much as those golden brown eyes. The gold in them today didn't comfort me, they felt like gilded knives of sadness and confusion. I couldn't force them out of my mind, but I could make my voice sound less pathetic. "What did you ladies get up to last night? I feel I ought to apologise on behalf of my mother that this season's itinerary has hardly been impressive."

Evie blushed, briefly, but then every drop of blood seemed to flee from her face as our eyes connected again. She glared at me.

"Eloise and I had a look over some samples her tailor sent her, unfortunately she doesn't seem to trust herself with choosing her clothes. I was delighted to help, naturally." Amber gossiped, placing her cards face down on the table to adjust her red and white dress.

So she wasn't the thief, just a patronising hypocrite like the rest of them.

"I expect company would've been lovely." Serena sighed, flicking a strand of her dead straight hair over her shoulder and focusing on her cards. "I had to write to my mother and by the time I had written I was quite exhausted." She looked up to see me examining her and offered a small smile.

"Oh?" I asked, winning the pass and accepting a nod of applause from Amber. "May I inquire as to the subject of the letter?"

Serena laughed daintily. "I should hardly think it a fitting subject for you, your Highness. My little sister is becoming a woman and Mama felt she needed my reassurance." I listened with disgust, realising that yes actually I really shouldn't have asked. I looked down to my hands, dealing out another set of cards.

Serena laughed daintily, accepting her cards from me. Her hands stayed on mine for a beat longer than I appreciated.

"Perhaps a night might be more fun with you, Gavrila." Serena joked and I ripped my hand back, my eyes shooting to Evie, willing her to know I didn't agree with her. Even then I couldn't hold her eyes.

"Where were you, Evangeline?" Amber asked snidely. My fist curled in anger at how she said Evie's name.

Evie showed a smile which I knew was not her own. "Oh nothing of importance. A night wasted as far as I am concerned."

Her words stabbed me and I felt stinging hurt in every one of my scars. A night wasted? Really? But she had said... She had said she was falling in love with me.

"-Gavrila?" I noticed that someone, Serena, was addressing me.

"I do beg your pardon, Serena?" I snapped my head to look up at her.

"You were in a daze, your Highness, Serena inquired as to whether you had an enjoyable evening?" Amber filled me in, one pencilled eyebrow raised.

"Oh." I let my eyes drop to my cards as I rearranged them to my advantage. "It was a lovely evening actually." Memories of her lips on mine, of how her silk coated waist fit between my hands launched on me. I couldn't look back up at her eyes lest the memories burned. "The nature is confidential I'm afraid, but it truly was thoroughly enjoyable work." One of Serena's eyebrows was raised, but she and Amber seemed placid enough with my answer, if a little bored. I could only see Evie's arm from where I sat, and that was as much as I was willing to see.

I left after that game. I couldn't bear to sit at the table with her.