There is a surprising absence of security at the entrance of the Petit Trianon when I arrive for the card party. A lone guard checks my name on a list in the guard room and ushers me inside. With no liveried servants to guide the way, I follow a trail of lit candelabra up the stairs and the muffled din of voices. It leads me to the closed dining room door, so I knock.

The chatter on the other side doesn't stop, but the door swings open to reveal a small party assembled around a long wooden table. Chandeliers filled with candles bathe the room in golden light and Marie Antoinette sits at the head of the table, observing silently. Her eyes flick to me when I enter and she smiles.

Hadrian holds the door open for me with surprise etched onto his features. "Mademoiselle Florette! A pleasure to see you here."

"You look surprised," I say with a directness that disrupts the formality of his greeting.

Hadrian grins. "I am. I was under strict instructions not to keep all workings of the Order away from you."

I glance at Destan where he sits towards the center of the table. "I believe that policy has changed," I reply.

Destan can hear us, surely, but his gaze doesn't flinch from the corpulent, red-faced man dressed in an overly frilled ensemble who talks animatedly across the table at him. His frustration with me is justified, but his cold dismissal bites like a winter wind.

Lavernia's face lights up when she sees me and she waves me over. I take the seat beside her and Hadrian stays close and takes the chair to my right.

Lavernia takes my hand in hers. "I am so glad you are here. Don't be afraid to speak up. We are all equals here."

The table is crowded with many unfamiliar faces, but I recognize a few of the men and women gathered. Lafayette sits beside Destan and seems to have been drawn into the argument with the loud, frilled man across from them. A pair of gentlewomen whisper quietly to one another. The woman with jet black hair shows her companion an emerald ring that flips open to reveal an ominously large metal barb. But there aren't only elites in our midst. Several servants and chambermaids sit around the table, talking with ease. I get the feeling no one in our midst would question their presence. I think it's rather ingenious to involve the palace staff. Few people can move through Versailles quite so unseen as the servants can.

"Welcome, everyone," Marie Antoinette finally says. She doesn't need to raise her voice for all conversations to cease. "Let us begin the business for which you have all come here tonight. Our friends in Paris are certainly desperate to see some movement from us and with news of riots daily, we need to act soon."

Daily riots. I fear Paris has changed much in the months since I left.

Marie nods to Lafayette who then stands to speak. "The Children of Marat are no longer a radical faction. They grow in number and strength. The French Guard sends one to the Bastille and two more rise in their place. France will be torn to pieces unless we make a radical change of course. The French Guard can no longer be left to deal with this insurrection alone. The National Assembly must be called together, and the National Guard given the authority to establish order."

When he sits, several members of the Order bang their fists on the table as if to signal their agreement.

A tall, thin man dressed all in black stands. "That sounds like a convenient plan coming from the man in charge of the National Guard." A few lone fists pound the table.

Lafayette stands to defend himself. "I have no intention of commanding the National Guard myself. It is time we let a new generation lead France."

He sits and throws a pointed smirk at Destan whose expression remains determinedly unchanged.

The woman with raven hair rises from her seat. "Power needs to be returned to the people—"

The ruffled man stands. "And how do you propose we keep the rabble in the Assembly from destroying France with their newfound power?"

Marie holds up a hand. "Wait your turn, Armand. The Comtesse wasn't finished, I believe."

"My apologies," he says with a somber sincerity and returns to his seat in deference.

The woman continues. "If the people do not feel they have a voice, they will never feel in control of their lives. We cannot control the Assembly, but we must trust the majority of members to act in the best interest of France and its people. If the State falls, we all fall with it."

She takes her seat and I join the others to pound my fist on the table.

Hadrian stands before ruffles can. "These are all goals we should pursue, but I fear we are getting ahead of ourselves. The Fae will never stand for power to be wrested from their puppet king."

Destan stands too. Hadrian yields to him with a nod. "Hadrian is right. They have too much sway over his every decision. Louis will never call for a reinstatement of the National Assembly while the fae whisper in his ear."

"Who is his closest advisor?" someone asks from the other end of the table.

"Queen Henriette," Hadrian answers. "No one is closer to the king, except perhaps Lord Gardet. We need a way to curb their influence over the king. If we could sow a seed of distrust—"

"Or convince the king to put his trust in someone else," Destan suggests.

A thought crosses my mind, but my mouth goes dry at the thought of standing to suggest an entirely different course.

Marie stands and both men sit. "I believe we should start with the queen. Her circle of friends has proved near impenetrable, but we need to know what she is saying to the king." Her eyes fall on the two demi-fae at the table. "Destan, Lafayette, you two are the logical choice for this task."

They glance at each other and Destan's shoulders cinch back. "I can work my way into her graces. Lafayette will work on my father."

"Thank you," Marie says with a sparkling smile at Destan. "I know I don't have to tell you to be careful."

A smile blooms across Destan's lips. "I will be careful, for your sake."

The political talk continues for an hour as the members of the Order speculate on which members of the Assembly would back a constitutional monarchy and which would side with the Jacobins and the Children of Marat in favor of its dismantlement. I know few of the names put forth, but I try to make note of who is considered an ally and who is not.

Marie finally calls the meeting to a close. "That is enough for tonight. Let us adjourn to the salon for refreshments and cards. From here on out, if we must argue, I ask that you take your disagreements out into the garden."

Lavernia takes me by the arm. "What did you think of your first meeting? Riveting isn't it?"

We stand head through the doors into the salon where Destan and I had met her yesterday. "Certainly," I reply.

"Tonight lacked some heat," Hadrian remarks when he catches up to us. "It's always much more fun when weapons get involved."

"Oh my. Is that allowed?" I ask.

"It's frowned upon," Lavernia answers with a smirk directed at Hadrian.

She leads us to a small grouping of furniture where she pulls me down to sit beside her on a settee. Hadrian drops into an armchair across from us while several groups head to the tables and begin to form groups for cards. To my surprise, the large, ruffled man heads to the keyboard and begins to play a jaunty tune.

I laugh. "This really is a card party!"

Lavernia keeps her arm tucked through mine, whether in solidarity or for comfort, I cannot tell. "It's for the benefit of the spies among us. The most believable lies have at least one element of truth."

"How is Louis these days?" Hadrian asks Lavernia, a brow raised indelicately.

"How should I know?" she replies archly.

Hadrian's face goes blank in confusion.

"If you spent less time in the gardens you would know that I am officially out as his mistress. He has moved on."

"Lavernia," I say. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just heard this morning," she says, but I can't tell if I hear sadness, disappointment, or relief in her voice.

"I'm sorry," Hadrian says. "The Order knew it wouldn't last — not through any fault of your own."

"I know," Lavernia says. "His attentions are capricious on even his best days."

Hadrian shifts in his chair. "Have you heard from your husband yet?"

Lavernia nods. "Someone close to the king must have tipped him off."

"What does he think?" Hadrian asks. From his tone, it's clear that he doesn't have much respect for the man.

My stomach knots. Lavernia never talks much about her husband and it never feels right to ask.

"He's furious with me, of course." She shrugs as if his opinion means nothing. "He's threatened to bring me back to Amiens, but I'm certain that would upset his favorite mistress." Her hand tightens on my arm as the mirth leaves her musical voice.

I hug arm closer to my side. A weak smile flickers on her lips, but it is quickly replaced with a false one. I didn't realize Marie Antoinette had stayed back in the dining room until she finally glided into the salon on Destan's arm. Lafayette follows close behind with the beautiful, dark-haired comtesse on his arm. The woman breaks away to head to a card table. Destan tries to follow, but Marie turns him rather forcefully in our direction. He whispers something to her, but she fixes with a withering look, her brows raised towards the hairline of her white curls.

The trio comes toward us and they take the remaining seats around the settee.

Marie looks directly at me once she is settled. "What did you think of your first meeting of the Order?" Her eyes meet mine, sparkling and unflinching.

"It was riveting, but I'm afraid I don't know much about politics," I say as my heartbeat races in my chest.

"That is all right. I didn't either when I arrived at Versailles," Marie says. "You'll learn fast enough, but I got a distinct feeling there was something you wanted to say when we in there."

Lafayette sits up to lean forward on his cane. His gaze cuts to me. "Is this true?"

"Well... no," I sputter. "It was just a thought. I don't know if it has any merit."

"Let's hear it then," Lafayette says with a wink at me. "You must never be intimidated by this lot of raucous fools—"

"From now on you must always speak your mind," Marie says. "It is the first rule of the Order. We value different opinions here."

"Fine then," I say as my chest warms. "I was only thinking that if you cannot break the Fae's influence over the King, it might be wise to sway them instead." My stomach wobbles with every word, but my voice holds steady and rings with confidence. Against my will, my eyes find Destan's face to gauge his reaction but he is impossible to read. I want to believe it's surprise on his face, but it looks almost like fear.

"And how would we do that?" Hadrian asks, curious not combative.

Pulse thundering, I grip the heavy silk of my skirts in my fist. "I see two options. Convince them that it's in their best interest to call up the Assembly, or find someone who shares our goals who can lead them and bring them in line."

Marie's brows raise and Lafayette bobs his head in agreement.

"That is an interesting thought," Destan says, his face still marked with surprise."

"Yes," Marie says. "We should certainly keep that idea in our minds. If we can't find a way to break the Fae's influence over the king, we may need to give them a common enemy."

"The Children of Marat are just that," Lavernia says.

"Exactly," Destan says. "Right now, their cries are just the buzzing of a gnat to these immortals, but you can't ignore a gnat forever."

"No you can't," I say. "But how do you plan to interfere with their control over the king?"

"We find weaknesses that can be used to plant seeds of distrust in the king's mind," Destan says.

Lavernia chuckles. "A simple enough plan, but the Queen's inner circle is ironclad—"

"Not exactly," Hadrian says with a smirk in his eyes. "You're forgetting about the one weak link in the chain."

"Who?" Lavernia cried.

"Dame Charlotte d'Amboise," Destan answers. "Queen Henriette's younger sister."

"Impossible," Lavernia says. "She never leaves the queen's side."

"True," Hadrian says. "But Dame Charlotte is our best bet. She is superficial, shallow—"

"Kind and gentle," Destan interrupts in the woman's defense.

"Trusting," Lafayette adds.

"Extremely well-dressed," Marie remarks. "But tragically..."

"Stupid," Hadrian finishes when Marie hesitates.

"I suppose," Lavernia says. "She's your weak link if you can catch her on her own."

Destan folds his arms across his chest. "We'll find a way, or we'll make an opportunity. The Queen can't watch her at all times."

The plan seems simple enough, but even if Destan can find a way into the Queen's inner circle, there's no way to know what he'll find. An air of certainty hangs over most of our group, but Destan doesn't look confident.

My stomach clenches and I think, perhaps, I share his hesitation.