"Excuse me, Your Highness. The Duke is asking for you."

I looked up from my book at Taylor where she stood beside the door to my rooms. Another servant stood there—a human, this time—with his head lowered in deference. There were only a few days left until my Coming of Age Ceremony and the entire manor was bustling with activity. In the weeks since my arrival, I had not seen my uncle even once. My aunt claimed he was attending to his duties at court to keep my father's attention away from the manor, but I had no way of verifying this. I was a sitting duck, waiting for the hounds to be loosed.

I stood from my very comfortable seat and smoothed the silken skirts of my borrowed dress. The pale blue was not a color that suited me, but I had little choice in wardrobe until Madame Sucre completed the order my aunt made for me. For now, I had to endure the Duchess' ill fitting hand-me-downs. I adjusted the off-white shawl on my shoulders and nodded to Taylor. She fell into step behind me as we followed my uncle's servant out into the corridor. I still wasn't quite used to the splendor of Noble life and found myself missing the monastery more than I anticipated. And the food! Oh, the food!

Aiyah~, I thought the food would get better once I entered secular society, but no! Even the simplest of dishes were drowned in spice, as though the chefs were afraid their masters would go into withdrawal without a mountain of pepper heaped upon every plate. I could barely stomach anything without scraping off a layer of spices. No one else seemed to have an issue with it and I had to wonder if I was the weird one. Surely, not...right?

Maybe my tastebuds had grown oversensitive after so many years in the monastery. The meals there were simple and meant to nourish more than to please. Even so, they were far more palatable than whatever spice laden monstrosities they were cooking the Duke's kitchens. I could only hope the palace chefs had better taste, or I would wither away to nothing.

"Cousin! What a welcome surprise." Lie.

I looked down at Frederick where he stood at the bottom of a staircase. He was wearing a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. I nodded coolly down to him, uninterested in speaking with him unless absolutely necessary. He seemed to realize this as he ran up the stairs to catch up with me before I could leave him behind.

"Cousin, why do I get the feeling you're avoiding me?"

"Because I am."

I valiantly kept myself from smiling at his wounded expression. Something about this man brought out the worst in me. Just another reason to avoid him.

I gestured for my guide to continue, but he looked between me and my cousin with wide eyes, unsure of who to obey. I could understand that. I would be gone soon, and Freddy would remain. Whatever. Soon, he would have to jump through hoops just to look at me, let alone tease me. If he thought I would bow my head to him once it wore a crown, he was in for a big surprise.

"Come on, cousin," he said with an infuriating smirk. "I haven't seen you in ages, and we're living in the same house! Where are you headed? I can take you instead of Petey." Truth.

'Petey' looked at his lord with stars in his eyes, clearly pleased to be freed from his responsibility. I frowned. Was I that scary?

"Uncle has requested my presence." I raised my hand and my eyebrow at my cousin. "I assume you know the way to his office?"

Freddy wasn't the least bit put off by my distant tone. He took my hand and placed it on his arm without hesitation and Petey took the chance to disappear. "Of course." Truth.

We managed to go maybe ten steps in amicable silence. A new record.

"You know, cousin," Freddy said with a laugh. "I get the feeling you don't like me very much."

I hummed lowly in response. "You seem to have a lot of feelings about me."

If my hand weren't on his arm, I wouldn't have noticed how he stumbled. But it was and I did, so I stopped walking and looked up at him. Frederick met my gaze head on, but his thick brows furrowed ever so slightly, giving away his nerves. I chuckled and looked away.

"I suggest you train diligently, cousin. You're too easy to read."

He smiled somewhat helplessly and the expression transformed his face. Now, he actually looked like his mother's child. Would my mother be like that? Plain and unremarkable until she smiled? The original novel described all the Shays that way, but the former Saintess rarely appeared, despite her status as a Royal Concubine. Maybe I should seek her out for myself, once I had the chance.

Freddy resumed walking and tugged me along. "I'll do that, cousin. I only hope it will not prove a hindrance to you." Lie.

Hah~. This boy...

I pulled my hand away from his arm and turned to face him directly. I reached out and pressed my finger against his chest in a blatant provocation.

"I will say this once and only once," I said as I glared at him. "The only throne which concerns me is the Demon King's."

His grey eyes widened almost comically and he reached up to rub at his chest where I poked him. "What do you—?"

"I said 'once', Freddy. Don't cheapen my words."

His lips thinned and his hands curled into fists. "Yes, Your Highness."

Aiyah~, it was about time. I smiled at him and was about to gesture for him to continue leading the way when someone cleared their throat.

"I was wondering what might be keeping you," my uncle said sternly from just outside a newly opened door. "I see you have finally decided to come home, Frederick."

Oooh!

I backed away from the growing tension between father and son. Taylor, who had maintained a low profile during my conversation with Freddy, returned to my side.

"Ah, yes, well." Freddy struggled to regain his composure after being caught off guard. "I missed my cousin."

"Not your mother? She will be saddened to hear that."

"Mother knows where to find me. As do you."

"Should a father have to search for his only child?"

"Does a grown man have to sit at home and await his father's pleasure?"

Taylor and I watched as the Duke and his heir talked circles around each other. It was obvious from her lack of reaction and how quickly they exchanged barbs that this was a normal occurrence. My uncle's personal hatred for my father and my cousin's close friendship with my brother had the great and mighty Duchy Montferro divided over politics. How disappointing.

For them.

I pinched the inside of my wrist to keep myself from smiling. If the men in this family were fighting on different sides of the power struggle consuming the nation, then they would each need my help to keep the other in check. I had no qualms playing both sides for my own benefit. No trick was too low if it raised my chances of survival.

"Enough!" The Duke pressed a knuckle to his forehead and frowned. "I don't have time to play around with you today."

Freddy sneered. "We'll see who's playing when all is said and done. Your Highness." With a bow to me, but not his father, he stormed away.

My uncle sighed. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

I smiled down at him. "I confess, I had some suspicions...but I had no idea things had come this far."

He winced and turned away. Yes, having the internal strife in his family witnessed was very embarrassing, especially since I was technically here as a guest. Even worse, a member of the Royal Family had seen such a glaring weakness...

He must be so upset.

"Come, Your Highness." He held the door to his office open to me. "I believe we have much to talk about."