Just when I thought I wouldn't be able to endure another second of Phillip Easton's bragging or Xavier and Georgina's quiet, tentative, conversation-less smiles, the king and queen rose and took their exit. I didn't spare a second before I leaped to my feet, willing Andrew's eyes towards me. My hasty rise, however, had drawn Thomas' eye and he offered me that trademark rakish grin as he helped Ashley out of her chair. He looked towards his brother, his lips moving as he said something. Ashley's face whipped around in my direction, murder in her eyes, as Andrew started to turn my way. He stopped, however, when Adelaide reached up to rest a hand on his arm, smiling sweetly up at him so he would help her from her chair.

I ground my teeth as she slid her arm into his, her face drawing far too close to my prince for my liking, that perfect, glittering grin still in place . I took a step towards them when Xavier cleared his throat beside me.

"I was hoping I could escort Georgina out," he said, giving me a pointed look before he looked towards the two other gentlemen at the table. Mr. Easton had apparently decided that only cousin Annabelle was worthy of his attention, but the pinched look on my cousin's face confirmed that the feeling was not mutual. Oliver Pendleton, horsey teeth and all, was awkwardly rocking back and forth on his heels, apparently waiting for me to stop staring towards the prince's table.

"May I escort you out, Elizabeth?" Oliver asked. I'd been polite enough with him through dinner, but my attention was alternately focused on Andrew and Xavier and I hadn't really listened to a word he'd said. I didn't dislike Oliver, but he was being a bit of a nuisance tonight, ceaselessly drawing me into his conversation and smiling at me from across the table.

"Of course," I said, trying not to sound as grudging as I felt.

We followed Xavier and Georgina out and I was hard-pressed to listen to whatever Oliver was prattling on about when we emerged into the hallway. Andrew and Thomas were near the far doors to the old palace, chatting with James as the debutantes and inductees parted ways.

"I'm so sorry, Oliver, but I must be going," I said, interrupting him as I pulled my arm from his. I dodged through the sea of debutantes and inductees, only to come up against my favourite palace butler.

"You should be returning to your room, miss," he said, still as sniffly as always.

"I need to have a word with the prince," I said, moving to dodge around him. Unfortunately, he must have learned a thing or two since our last encounter because he very successfully stepped in my way this time.

"I'm afraid I cannot permit that," he said, "By order of the queen."

The words shocked me so badly that I stopped my maneuvering and stared at him. He had a pleased little smile on his face, his nose, as always, tilted towards the sky.

"Well you must be a very important butler indeed to be getting orders directly from the queen," I said, "Give her my best regards, will you? And whatever happened to that handkerchief of mine? I would so love to have it back."

I turned on my heel, satisfied that I'd brought his haughty grin crashing down into a sneer. I followed the tide of debutantes back towards our wing, my teeth gnashing the entire time. Georgina fell in beside me, the pair of us marching wordlessly back towards our rooms until my friend broke the silence.

"She's only testing you, you know," she said quietly, Ashley's tinkling laugh pealing through the hallway as she stood and gossiped outside her door before curfew.

"Who? The queen? Ashley? Everyone in this bloody palace?" I managed through gritted teeth. Georgina made a face, linking arms with me as we hurried past Ashley.

"Sitting in a corner today, packing her trunks tomorrow," Ashley called archly after me, "Just watch, ladies, and you'll see exactly how to fall out of the prince's favour in a day."

I dug my heels in, ready to turn around and give Ashley the verbal lashing she so deserved, but Georgina gave the soft flesh of my upper arm a pinch, halting me in my tracks.

"Not here, not now. Don't give them any more to gossip about," she hissed. I inhaled, but allowed her to drag me along until she'd deposited me safely at the door to my suite.

"Thank you, but I can stand up for myself," I said, my temper still simmering.

"Yes, but I can only dispel the rumours I know aren't true. If you and Ashley got into a screaming match, there's nothing I could say to quash whatever unkind whispers she'd think up," Georgina said. I blinked at her.

"Somebody has to speak highly of you since there are so many that would jump to attack you," she shrugged. I threw my arms around her in a hug, squeezing her fiercely to me.

"Thank you," I breathed. She squeezed me back, releasing me with a quiet goodnight, but I caught her hand before she could leave me.

"You need to talk to Xavier," I said, "But you didn't hear it from me."

Her throat bobbled as she swallowed, giving me a quick nod before making her escape back towards her suite as the curfew bell tolled in the hallway.

"That's right, little miss goodie, play by the rules like a good little Colonel's daughter!" Ashley teased as Georgina dashed past her.

"Leave her alone," I snarled, earning one of Ashley's cheshire grins.

"Or what? You'll stop me? Better run along and pack your things," she said, my fingers itching to wipe the grin off her face, "Her Majesty made it abundantly clear that you'll be gone by morning!"

"Wouldn't you just love that?" I snapped, ripping open my suite door to slam it closed behind me, Ashley's peals of laughter echoing down the hallway.

"Good evening, my lady!" Brenna sang, surging forward with Elspeth to sweep me up into my bedtime routine. I was so worked up, however, that I had no interest in lying awake in bed. I brushed them off, dismissing them and choosing instead to sit moodily and stare into the flames. Instead of retiring, however, Brenna set herself up in a corner next to a lantern, working on some mending. When I couldn't sit still any longer, still seething over Ashley, I took to pacing, but that didn't help assuage my temper at all.

"You don't have to stay, you know," I said eventually, folding my arms over my chest as the heat of annoyance crept up into my face. Brenna kept sewing peacefully, humming softly to herself and I wished I could shake her and shoo her out of the room. I wanted to be alone so I could punch a pillow or scream without being subjected to yet more judgement.

"Don't mind me," Brenna said, "It won't be long now."

"Won't be long for what?" I demanded, my temper reaching the end of its fuse.

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. I turned around in surprise, but Brenna rose smoothly from her seat to answer the door. A few choice words sprang to my lips for whoever was calling so late at night, only to see Andrew standing on the other side of the threshold, his hands clasped behind his back and the beginning of a grin on his face.

"Please come in, your Highness," Brenna said, sweeping a curtsey as she held the door open for him. Andrew came in, his grin growing as he took in the shock on my face.

"What's all this?" I asked as a servant followed him in, pushing a cart loaded with bell-covered plates.

"I heard that you had a bad day," Andrew said, reaching for my hand so he could kiss it in greeting, his lips lingering longer than they should, "And I wanted to cheer you up."

Brenna had resumed her seat, her lips pursed to fight a smile as she returned to her mending. A thousand questions jumped to my lips, but Andrew pulled me towards the love seat while the servant uncovered each of the five plates.

"Pie!" I exclaimed, as Andrew helped move the plates onto the low table in front of me.

"It arrived this afternoon," Andrew said, passing me a plate with a familiar piece of chocolate-crusted blueberry pie, "And I know that food always seems to improve your mood."

"Are you even allowed to do this?" I asked, shamelessly digging in before Andrew had even selected a plate. My prince was right, there was nothing that improved my mood more than sweets.

"We're courting now, of course I can," he smiled, taking a piece of mixed berry pie for himself, "Though hopefully I'll be able to enjoy this without wearing any of it this time."

"No promises," I said, eyeing his collar, "How did you know that I needed to be cheered up?"

"My mother came to speak to me before dinner," he said, his eyes glimmering with amusement, "Though she neglected to mention her change in seating arrangements."

I squirmed in my seat, pushing my pie around my plate. Andrew nudged my knee with his, pulling my attention back up to his face.

"She's not sending me home, is she?" I asked, my stomach plummeting. His eyebrows hopped in surprise, but he laughed, breaking the tension.

"If she sent you home, I'd just go and bring you back again," he said, scooting closer to me so I could lean against him, "It's going to take more than you speaking your mind to my mother for me to stop loving you."

"Did she tell you all the awful questions she asked me?" I said, comforted by his warmth beside me. A chuckle slipped through his lips as he speared a piece of pie.

"I heard that she surprised you with her ethical dilemmas," he said, "And I was very proud to hear that you didn't back down from her challenge, though I had some explaining to do when it came to the commoners and nobles debate. Apparently you and I are very much on the same page, much to my mother's surprise."

"I still maintain that I wouldn't be caught huddled in a nursery if the palace were under attack," I muttered, making a face at my pie. Andrew nudged me with his shoulder, holding a forkful of pie out towards me.

"Frankly, if it ever came to the palace being attacked, we'd all be doomed anyway," he said, feeding me the pie. It was just as delicious as I'd remembered, the sweet tang of the berries tasting like sunlight and bringing back memories of our excursion. My stomach twisted with longing for a day like that again, alone with Andrew and away from the prying eyes of the palace.

"I wouldn't slit your throat, you know," I said, holding his gaze once I'd finished chewing, "I fear my temper might have gotten away with me about that..."

His lips curved up in that lopsided smile he saved just for me. Finished with his pie, he reached out with his free hand to tuck a stray piece of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering near my cheek. My breath caught as his eyes dropped to my lips, but Brenna's quiet humming kept the spell from falling over us.

"I laughed at that," he said, his green eyes dancing with amusement as they held mine, "I never knew you were such a pragmatist, willing to sacrifice me for the greater good."

"I'm not! I'd never! I-" I protested, but he quieted me my pulling me towards him in a hug. Brenna cleared her throat and Andrew's chuckle rumbled against my ear in his chest.

"I'm only hugging her, Brenna," he said, only releasing me once he'd planted a clandestine kiss on my head.

"Forgive me, your Highness, but propriety is propriety," she said, her eagle-eyed gaze upon us as we drew apart. Andrew rolled his eyes with a smile.

"Don't make me bring Miss Claridge next time," he said, giving her a cheeky grin. She shook her head, but her mouth twitched as she fought a smile.

"Bess would have escorted you from the room already. Count your lucky stars that I was so preoccupied with my mending that I didn't notice that little embrace," she said, giving the pair of us a pointed look to say that she wouldn't allow anything like it to happen again. I sank bashfully into the couch while Andrew laughed, rising.

"Perhaps I can bribe you with pie?" he said, scooping up a slice bursting with blackberries and depositing on the table next to Brenna.

"You're going to give me a toothache, you troublesome prince," she chided, eyeing the pie. Andrew left it beside her, shooting me a wink as he returned my way.

"Fair enough. What about you, Libby? More pie? Or perhaps a game of chess?" he said, reaching towards the lower level of the dessert cart to pick up a heavy wooden box.

"Both?" I asked, picking up a piece of the strawberry rhubarb pie as Andrew sat on the floor to set the chessboard up by the fire.

"As the lady wishes," he grinned up at me, his face devastatingly handsome in the firelight. I scooted down to join him, curling my feet under me as he lined the pieces up on the board.

"I should warn you, Xavier was an excellent chess tutor," I said, eyeing the board as I ate.

"I would expect nothing less from someone with such an intellectual for a brother," he said, "Ladies first."

I set down my plate, moving my first pawn in one of the more aggressive opening moves my brother had taught me.

"As much as I'll miss having him here, it was very thoughtful of you to secure him a place at the Royal Conservatory," I said, watching as Andrew countered my move, blocking the opening I'd hoped to use.

"Royal Conservatory?" he asked, genuinely baffled. I looked up at him, scooting out another pawn.

"Wasn't that your doing?" I asked, confused.

"No, it wasn't," he said, slowly shaking his head as he studied me, bringing out one of his knights.

"Then it really must have been an anonymous benefactor," I said, advancing a knight of my own.

"I wish I'd known he was itching to return to his studies, I would've done that for him in a heartbeat," he said. I looked up at him when he didn't make a move on the board.

"It was generous enough of you to sponsor the pair of us, I couldn't have asked you for something else," I said. His gaze softened as he leaned towards me.

"You don't ask me for much, Libby," he said, his green eyes holding mine, "But if you ever want for something again, I hope you'll come to me first."

My heart skittered as the little sun flared within me, a smile slipping onto my face.

"Thank you, Andrew," I said. He held my smiling gaze as he reached down to slide a bishop out, seizing my knight.

"Check," he said, his eyes glittering with mischief as mine dropped to the board in disbelief. With a grumble, I moved my queen out to defend my king, only for him to seize it with his bishop.

"Actually I have thought of something," I said, snatching up his bishop with my king, "Your mother reassigned Audra and I'd like to have her back."

"Of course, I'll see what I can do," Andrew said, studying the board before advancing his knight, "Though I daresay you need to work on your chess skills. Check, again."

"I thought you were supposed to be a gentleman," I muttered. He laughed and I relished the sound, my belly full of pie and my heart finally content after such a difficult day.