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As far as her brother is concerned, her official responsibilities in the palace have always been limited to overseeing the staff, planning parties and deciding how to decorate in keeping up with changing tastes and fashion. The first is a duty which she takes very seriously, keeping order over the servants and their responsibilities and minding stock of supplies on hand. The latter are superficial tasks that bore her to tears but which the prince trusts to her and only her, neither of his wives having been as interested in the running of the palace as in securing their positions within these walls.
Unofficially, Olivia de Sardet has always acted as a buffer between her nephew, Constantin, and his father, from consoling the boy when he was just a child hurt by his father’s harsh words, to stepping in and calming her brother’s anger when possible. The responsibility has become greater in the years since the elder son, Laurent, died under suspicious circumstances. If anyone cared enough to ask her opinion on the matter, she would tell them to look closer at Julia d’Orsay.
Or perhaps not, considering the possible consequences of uttering such things aloud.
Lady d’Orsay might not be one of them, but her connection to the head family of Peren is well known. Her grandfather and the late patriarch of the de Vespe clan ran in the same circles and were rumored to have been involved in many shady deals together, including the one that placed her in her position to marry the prince so soon after his first wife’s untimely passing. With no eligible debutants in their own line, the de Vespes, bent on social climbing and desperate for power, had settled on the next best thing, matching someone they could control who would fall in line and ingratiate herself to the head of the Congregation.
Livie has the wits about her to keep a wary eye on that one. With there being no gain in disposing of the prince’s beloved sister, it’s her daughter she worries about. With Charles de Vespe now seeking an advantageous marriage for his young daughter, Aurélia, any other young ladies that could be seen as an obstacle face an uncertain future. Lord de Vespe is no fool and Constantin is undoubtedly at the top of their list.
If only she could grant Elizabeth her one wish…
The Captain may be below her station, but he is a man with integrity and honor and Elizabeth could hardly find a better match for her own temperament and character. He does well to hide his softer and warmer side, but it slips through the chinks in his armor when he least expects it, there for anyone willing to look deeper to discover. The fact that he sees and appreciates Elizabeth for who she is while maintaining his distance speaks well of him. There’s a mutual respect there which even some of the best matches lack.
Yes, she would love to see Elizabeth in such a happy match.
So many times, she has been on the cusp of telling her the truth about her heritage, wishing it might free her from her duty and allow her to choose. Fear always stops her. If it gets out to her brother that his niece knows, a marriage between Elizabeth and Constantin would surely be hurried, securing her unhappiness forever.
Instead, she holds the well-kept secret close to her breast, hoping that Elizabeth can forge her own happiness. If Livie can keep her brother’s plans at bay long enough, there just might be a chance for her daughter to break free and make her own choice.
Like she had in choosing Marc de Sardet.
Marc was slightly older than many of her suitors, but so handsome with his dark features. An intellectual, they could talk for hours about exploring the sea and land, about the constellations he followed on his adventures. How one day he might take her with him. He might not have been her father’s first choice, but his daughter’s happiness had counted for more than any advantages he could gain from a greater match.
Her one great regret was that they had no children, not for lack of trying. Despite the doctors’ assurances that there was no reason why she could not conceive, it never happened. While Marc continued with his explorations, Livie chose to remain behind, isolated in the palace, and then he was lost to her, taking any remaining hope with him. Until her brother, in a too casual voice for the gravity of the situation, uttered the words that would change her life: “Now I have an infant to deal with…” and nothing has ever been the same.
Watching Elizabeth grow from a gorgeous baby to the beautiful woman she is has been the greatest privilege of her life. A tenacious child, she has become a force to be reckoned with now that she’s grown. Wise beyond her years, Elizabeth knows that what she wants is never going to be handed to her and she has made peace with that, but that same old defiance still burns in her eyes. If anyone can reach out and take what they want, she can.
Livie sees it even if Elizabeth does not.
She sees a lot from her private quarters overlooking the courtyard. Of course, she had been watching the day the Captain decided to ban live steel from their sparring indefinitely. On that fateful day, she had made a few keen observations. Elizabeth’s immediate reaction, Kurt taking the hastily offered token which he pocketed, their careful interactions which followed.
Especially now, she keeps the Captain on his toes as they spar. He sometimes forgets that he’s been training her for ten years. Perhaps not with the kind of discipline he would if she were a recruit, but the years shine through, evident in her form and style. And he’s obviously proud of her though he tries not to let it show. When he dismisses her, Elizabeth glances back at him once but he’s already focused on his spar with Constantin. She turns back and heads to her room where Livie already had a servant prepare a bath before their afternoon tea.
She calls for a servant to light the overhead lamps, closing her curtains before ordering a tea service to be prepared. Sometime later, Elizabeth pushes the cart with the porcelain tea set ahead of her as she enters.
“Liza, you know how I feel about knocking.”
“I do,” she says with an impish smile, stopping the cart before the sofa.
“Sometimes you are worse than your cousin about skirting the rules.”
“Oh, I agree.” Elizabeth laughs with the lightness of familiarity, dropping all pretense in her mother’s presence. “He has been a terrible influence on me.” She pours water from the teapot into their cups.
“Come.” Livie pats the cushion next to her.
She takes her seat and stirs milk and honey into her tea, the metal spoon clinking against the porcelain. “Do you think we could go to the theater?” she asks, bringing her cup up to her lips and blowing over the frothy mix with a nonchalance that might fool anyone else.
“I suppose you would like to be escorted by a certain Coin Guard Captain?” Livie stares down at her teacup while stirring in some milk.
“What makes you say that?”
“I know my daughter,” she says, lightly resting her hand over Elizabeth’s.
“You know how I feel about Kurt. There’s no point in my denying it.”
She sets her teacup on the saucer and angles herself towards Elizabeth. “Liza, do you remember when I told you that you have to take what you want in this life?”
“Yes.”
“You’re a woman now and that fact has not changed. If anything, it is more certain.”
“You also once told me to manage my expectations.”
“I did. And you must.” She takes her daughter’s hands in hers, needing her to listen and understand. “Still, if there is something you want, it is up to you to reach for it. Do you understand?”
“I think so.”
“Good,” she says, patting her hand before taking her teacup and lifting it to her lips. “Now, let us talk about something else.”
“Are we still going to visit the countryside this winter?” Elizabeth reaches for the dessert tray and chooses an almond cookie, taking a small bite.
“Not this year. We’ve had reports of an alarming nature. Some disease has begun to spread through the villages in the north.”
Elizabeth pauses, her cup lifted halfway to her lips. “What kind of disease?”
“No one knows as of yet, but the Bridge Alliance has their top minds working on it.”
“How bad is it?”
“You need not worry. It’s far from Serene.”
“But if it’s spreading…”
“The scientists at the academy in Al Saad will find answers,” she replies in an authoritative voice, putting an end to the discussion.
They spend the rest of their afternoon making plans to go to the theater. Livie sends a servant out to reserve their usual box at the theater and to request that Mr. Lafitte come for a consultation. She then watches as Elizabeth delivers the formal request to Kurt. Even if the Captain is merely her escort, it pleases her to bring her daughter some happiness.