Arc II, Chapter 47

There is no adequate way to describe the silence that fell in the room in the wake of Duo's words. 'Shocked' would be a vast understatement, 'horrified' closer to the reaction that began to swell in the faces of the audience but not quite fully encompassing the way everyone seemed sluggishly frozen in place. It was only through years of extensive training that I was able to disassociate myself from my immediate reaction, felt the way a chill spread from where Wing nestled inside to cover every inch of me, forcing my mind into quick order.

With a force I was not really registering, I grabbed Duo by the arm and pulled him back. He stumbled as I angled him slightly behind me, but I couldn't focus on righting him for the moment; my priority was extracting him from this situation. Duke Noin's eyes - widened, as surprised as the rest by Duo's rejection of an imperial gift - were still locked on Duo, so I edged further in front of him until her eyes finally recognized me.

"I apologize, my husband is still unwell," I stated, clearly and evenly. "We humbly accept the gift and thank the imperial family for their generosity."

Duke Noin gave a slow blink, mind kicking back into gear. Almost unsurely, she glanced from me to Duo. "...The gift was for the Duchess, Your Grace. And..." And he rejected it.

"He is unwell." If I said it forcefully enough, that may be enough for them to show some leniency. Had I been anyone else, my heart would have been thudding heavily in my chest, in danger of expiring at any moment.

Duke Noin gave me a plainly bewildered look. "He's so sick that he can't understand the offer?"

"I can understand just fine," Duo stated blandly from behind me.

I whirled around to face him. Why was Duo acting this way? For all that his memories may have lacked, he'd always acted according to the decorum afforded to his station - at least while others were watching. Even someone like me, ostracized from noble circles, knew that to refuse a gift from the imperial family was tantamount to social suicide.

Before the fire, Duo had never hidden his contempt for me, not even from other nobles - but he had always made a point of ensuring his reputation was as clean as he could keep it. He'd worked his social influence up to such a point that everyone considered his marriage to me the only stain on his otherwise impeccable record. He kept his followers in line with veiled threats that not even Trowa could glean, ensured that not one finger was pointed in his direction nor one word spoken about him with derision. It was this white-knuckled control that Quatre had been so worried about; with their master gone, Duo's hounds may very well turn on him the moment they scented weakness.

This refusal could be the match that lit the kindling. I had to mitigate the damage as best I could now by accepting the gift and using Duo's 'sickness' as reason for the initial rejection; the sooner we left this party, the sooner we left the province. As soon as the Annual Hunt Ball was over, I was taking Duo out of the capital and back home, well out of reach of any possible social consequences. If that meant keeping him forever ensconced within the Yuy province, then so be it.

I steeled myself and made sure Noin met my eyes. Again, "We accept the gi–"

"Husband," Duo breathed beside me, words honey-coated poison. I felt my throat close at the tone - painfully unfamiliar and yet so nostalgic. It had been ages since Duo had last spoken to me with such a voice, as it was usually reserved for those fleeting moments when he knew he could hurt me more with words than with negligence. "The gift was for me, not you."

It was easy to see the glitter in Duo's violet eyes, so reminiscent of his older brother that I could practically taste the blood in the back of my throat. "But I must have been misunderstood," Duo continued, voice hypnotically light. "After all, I am unworthy of such a generous gift and can only refuse such kindness, no matter how it pains me."

Noin's gaze as the words rolled off Duo's tongue was sharp. Wordplay was not something she often indulged in, as both her and the Crown Prince favored straightforwardness - putting them at distinct odds with Duo and his family members, who made such games their pastimes. I was much the same, having never grown up among the nobles who valued such double-faced games, but my lack of skill in conversation had only become one of many thorns in Duo's side.

"So you mean to refuse a gift from the royal family because you feel it is underserved?" Noin asked shrewdly.

Duo's smile was sweet, a stark difference to the look in his eyes. "I'm struggling to understand how anything I have done would warrant such a reward. If only Duke Noin could explain to me what actions I took to receive such kindness?" He paused, head tilted slightly in thought. "Unless, of course, Duke Noin doesn't know... Then perhaps this is a misunderstanding on several parts."

"I speak on behalf of the royal family," Duke Noin gritted out.

Duo's expression was fascinated. "Then surely you would know what action of mine merited such a reward? Or does Duke Noin mean to imply that the royal family believes my sewing of a ribbon is equal to my husband's hunting of one boar, two red-tailed deer, three brown hares, four black grouse, and six ground quail?"

I suddenly understood what Duo was doing.

By refusing the gift, he'd caused a stir - but the attention drawn was not necessarily harmful. He'd made specific mention that the gift was given to him alone, essentially had Noin confirm that he alone was meant to receive (or in this case, deny) it. He circumvented the idea of an outright rejection, instead calling into question the reason for the gift - a reason that had not been readily understood by the situation.

By accepting the gift, he would end up confirming what the court already believed: a pureblood noble was worthy of a more generous gift, and that myself - someone with muddied blood - would always be second-best.

To risk the ire of the court and the royal family for something as insignificant as my honor...

Anger seeped up from the leaden ball lodged in my gut, seething between my veins. My honor, my reputation among Sanc's court - it was such a small, insufferable thing that should bear no weight on me. And yet it had been shown to me, time and time again, how much sway it held in Duo's view of the world - enough to risk his life and freedom for, enough to draw blood and make enemies should any dare infringe on it.

This was not the first time, nor would it be the last. Duo had spent some of those first few weeks after we'd been married doing damage control, further establishing his hold on his social circle and stomping down on dissenters. A dandy whose name I could never bother to recall had made one snide remark about Duo's "new family" while he'd been within hearing, a mistake that Duo had clearly been waiting for as he'd laid out every possible scandal the dandy's own family had been rumored to have hands in before everyone could take a second sip of wine.

The face of that dandy from back then was reminiscent of the expression on Noin's face now, on the face of the court lady who had sneered behind Duo's back at the garden party two years before, on the face of every single noble I had beaten in their petty competitions. It was the look of someone who had found themselves losing what should have been an easy win, of having the rug pulled from under their feet by something lesser.

I hated that look when it was directed at me; I hated it even more when it was directed at Duo.

"You did prick your finger while sewing the irises onto my ribbon," I spoke up, not bothering to hide the cold edge of my voice. Duke Noin's eyes flashed to me, surprised by the interjection - something I understood to be uncharacteristic of me when it came to our previous interactions. I never bothered to hide my contempt for Count Otto, but I'd never indulged in the passive-aggressive pettiness of the court before. "We all fight our own battles, husband."

Duo let out an incongruently loud peal of laughter. "Oh, I suppose I really must commend Duke Noin for her insight," he chortled, cruel mirth lined in the sharp corners of his mouth and the shine in his eyes. "To honor the trials and tribulations of my embroidery skills!"

Duke Noin's face was a picture of discontent. As someone who was routinely asked to speak on behalf of the royal family due to the Queen's failing health and the Crown Prince's absence from most social activities, she had obviously grown comfortable with the authority such a position afforded her. As the future queen of the country, Duke Noin had only known elevation; from a prestigious upbringing, to a flawless career throughout her schooling and training, and now as the eminent queen-to-be - it could be argued Noin had never once known defeat.

Much like the man she was set to marry, she had indisputably excellent sword skills and enjoyed a position of authority among the capital's grand knights. The knights that came from noble lineages often remained in the Capital, meant to protect the royal family from within the palace walls - and hardly ever seeing the same battlefields myself and those who followed me did on our excursions.

Noin was chivalrous, much like the Crown Prince himself - but I had always thought that the company they chose to keep told me enough about them.

Push-back was something both myself and Duo were long familiar with. My every single step made as soon as my father named me heir to the Yuy duchy had been nothing but an uphill battle; Duo's marriage to me had forced him into that same climb. To Sanc, Duke Noin's heir and current title-holder would marry upward; Duke Maxwell's second son had married down.

"I speak for the imperial family," Duke Noin said again.

Hearing her words now - it was a pitiable defense. Even the Crown Prince had learned to hold his tongue in front of Duo's kin.

"Her Majesty prizes fair and just rewards," Duo returned. "If you speak on her behalf, then surely you can explain the reasoning behind my prize?"

They stared at each other, equally unyielding; I stood at Duo's side, unwilling to back down in a battle of wills he clearly meant to pursue. You could have dropped a pin in the silence that engulfed the room, for once even the most gossip-eager nobles kept their quiet to better grasp the situation playing out in front of them.

The power of the Maxwell family cannot be understated in the Sanc court. The reason I could stand so confidently as the Duke of Yuy was not wholly because of my accomplishments on the battlefield; a large part of that acceptance stemmed from my and Duo's marriage. With my tie now made permanent to the Maxwell ducal family, I was endowed with a certain level of prestige.

The role the Maxwell family played in Sanc's court was not always widely understood by the greater part of the nobility. They were a family that enjoyed a history as long as the Yuy, originating from the foundation of the Sanc Kingdom, and their public accomplishments were enough to make them worthy of awe. The royal family would often give them awards and accolades throughout the generations, disguised behind equally impressive public work, though my family knew it to sometimes be because of their work in the underground.

Solo Maxwell treated his peers in the court as one treated bumbling fools; cutting rebukes disguised under velvety words, still limited by the polite mannerisms that guided all social interactions. Duo Maxwell could identify a hundred and one faults of someone just by looking at them, then point out every one just to see them bleed for daring to go against him.

I was intimately aware of what it felt like to be on that other side. Your intentions - good or otherwise - could mean nothing to Duo if your actions jeopardized him in any way, or contradicted him and his personal brand of ethics. It was...unpleasant, to be seen so wholly and have it used against you. The ladies and dandies who made up his social circle were well aware of this facet of Duo.

Noin, for the first time, was running into the obstacle of an equal power working directly against her.

She had enjoyed a place of privilege that put her more in the company of knights and other officials eager to pander to the royal family. She had never been at odds with Duo, because the Maxwell family had kept him locked away for most of his formative years, and when he'd finally fully emerged into the social scene, he had soon become the paramour of one of her close friends.

But Otto could only be so open about his affair with Duo because Duo had allowed it; his relationship with Trant Clark had been nothing more than a whisper in the court, a result of Duo refusing to accept anything more overt.

Whoever was behind this generous 'gift' would have weighed the risks, and if Duo had been as he was before, he would have accepted it; an extra boon, another layer of security and prestige to hold his place in the Sanc Court, to stifle the petty gossip of those who were constantly after his place in their ridiculous social hierarchies. If it was the Duo of before, then the risk would have been low at this gesture leading to a direct conflict with the Maxwell dukedom.

But now Duo had taken the one action they had not anticipated, refusing the gift for the insignificant reason of preserving my honor, and this had put them at odds with not just the Maxwell dukedom - but also the Yuy dukedom. Duo was the tie linking both our families together, and unlike the successors of either, he had no qualms about using that power. He often had, to get his way among the ladies and dandies of the court.

To reject an imperial gift could almost be considered treason.

Duo Maxwell was one of the few people in the Sanc Court who could get away with it.

"The reason for the gift is known to Her Majesty the Queen," Noin stated, words curt and clipped. "Her Majesty's thoughts and rationale are her own."

Duo smiled. "You know what to say but not what the words mean? How interesting."

Noin looked like he'd just slapped her.

If Noin intended to reply to that, the sudden and blaring sound of trumpets put an end to anything she may have said or done. I felt Duo tense up beside me, the reason made all too clear when the official greeter's voice rang through the hall: "ANNOUNCING THE ARRIVAL OF HIS HIGHNESS, CROWN PRINCE OF THE KINGDOM OF SANC, PRINCE MILLIARDO PEACECRAFT!"

With a sweep of royal white-and-blue, Prince Milliardo entered the hall. Everyone was quick to bow, including us up on the dais, but even I could not help but glance at the girl the Prince had on his arm. The most disconcerting thing about her presence was not that I did not know her or why she was being escorted by the Crown Prince himself - but rather, that I did know.

Relena Darlian was dressed in the elegant finery of the royal family, one hand clasped onto her older brother's arm and eyes locked on Duo.

"What the fuck," I heard Duo whisper under his breath.

As the two made their way up to where we stood on the dais, I saw the Princess's eyes briefly flick over to me, her open expression closing off slightly. When she looked at Duo, that gaze turned soft and friendly - but when it landed on me, it was as if she were looking at something she didn't quite like. This wasn't unusual for Sanc's nobility, but given that she had previously been in a position as tenuous as mine, it was odd.

"We've arrived late," Prince Milliardo said, voice cool and even. He was the complete opposite of his sister, gaze warm only for his fiancee and noticeably cooler when on Duo. "And seemingly at an interesting time."

"The Duchess of Yuy has refused the gift," Noin reported, recollecting herself.

Prince Milliardo didn't get a chance to react to that - Relena Darlian suddenly moved forward, crossing the distance between us and grabbing Duo's hands to pull up. Her expression, previously so poised, was now a mix of concern and discordant cheer. The Prince's eyes on her actions were indulgent, though Noin looked put out by the obvious friendliness.

"You've always been so humble, Duo!" she fairly gushed, loud enough to be heard clearly throughout the hall. Duo's eyes were wide in his face, taken by surprise, and he'd frozen much like a spooked deer. "It's our fault for not explaining ahead of time. I can assure you, this gift is well-deserved!"

There was a light laugh from the crowd; Lady Dorothy Catalonia's face could be seen amidst the throng, amusement clear on her features.

Relena Darlian didn't seem to notice, turning around with a bright smile on her face as she looked towards the prince. She released Duo's hands, flashing him another conciliatory smile before she went back to her brother's side, turning that same effusive look on the crowd of confused onlookers.

"The gift was decided to honor your aide in an endeavor many people had believed pointless," Prince Milliardo said, looking at Duo as he spoke. "Thanks to your hard work and dedication, we were finally able to discover a truth so close to home."

At this, Duke Darlian stepped up onto the dais. The older man bowed again in polite deference to both the Crown Prince and the young woman beside him, smiling briefly at his adopted daughter before also turning to bow his head at Duo.

The Crown Prince smiled. "Duchess Yuy - by the authority of Her Majesty the Queen, you will be rewarded with one Royal Favor for your part in finally locating the Crown Princess of Sanc, my precious younger sister: Princess Relena Peacecraft."

Relena Peacecraft's smile was wide - and her gaze was calculating.

---

"It's too early!"

This particular refrain had been repeated several times by now, Duo's pacing across my office like a prowling cat. At some point, Quatre and Hilde had given up on trying to get him to sit, and were now just watching him move back and forth, cups of tea at the ready. Wufei wasn't even bothering to look up from where he was diligently scrawling something across his pad of papers, Trowa leaning over his shoulder to read, while Meilan perched by the window and occasionally stuck out a foot when Duo got close enough to trip.

"But she was still revealed to be the Princess of Sanc, which falls in line with your vision," I pointed out to him. "What does it matter if it's earlier?"

Duo threw his hands up. "It throws off the entire plot of the book! That reveal doesn't come until later, after she visits the Yuy province!"

Meilan sent me a cool look from the windowsill. "That was probably just to give her enough time to seduce the Duke. Obviously that's not happening anymore–"

"Obviously," I repeated, coldly and pointedly.

"--so she was 'found' quicker. And now you have one royal favor to do with as you wish," she continued. "I don't see the problem here."

'Found' was a strange term to use in this case. According to the story spun by the Crown Prince at the Victor's Ball, the princess had been smuggled out of the castle with her mother by the unknown assailants who had murdered her father, ending up in the human trafficking ring that had been causing problems in Sanc for decades. From there, she had somehow landed in the care of a Capital orphanage, from which Duke Darlian and his wife had met her while doing charity work.

The ducal couple, unaware of her true lineage, had been charmed by her warm personality and bright smile, adopting her as they had been unsuccessful at having children of their own. As the years went on and Relena then-Darlian grew, they began to notice her striking resemblance to the royal line.

When their daughter was 15 years old, they decided to test if they were the only ones who thought the resemblance uncanny - and introduced her to someone her own age, from a family of prestige that knew the imperial family by face and the true story of the crown: young Duo Maxwell, recently debuted dandy.

Relena Darlian had been known to keep to herself for the most part at Sanc's events, refusing tea party invites and staying out of the social scene as much as possible. The reason behind this was thought to be for the same reason I avoided Sanc's social circles - that her impure blood was a shameful taint to the Darlian line.

That she had a secret friendship with the flower of Sanc's court had been shocking.

"I see several problems here!" Duo cried out, throwing himself down onto the couch between Quatre and me, ignoring the tea pushed his way. "Especially that reward! What do they mean, I helped find the princess?! That never happened in the book!"

"You were dead in the 'book'," Trowa said, ignoring my flinch.

Duo waved him off impatiently. "That doesn't matter!" There were several disagreeing outcries, mine included, but Duo only patted me on the thigh in consolation as he continued. "The Relena in the book-vision, she didn't even know I existed! She didn't know my name, didn't even know Heero had been married! But now we're childhood friends?"

It was suspicious. I'd never seen or heard anything about Relena Darlian from Duo before the greenhouse fire; even though he hardly shared with me any of his social activities, I had my men keep an eye on him to keep him out of danger. If he had been seen with Relena Darlian, that would have made it back to my ears at some point.

"Then if she's lying," Quatre said, eyes thoughtful. "What benefit does she get from giving you a royal favor?"

Duo went quiet, an idea obviously coming to mind. He bit his lip, eyes flickering to me before turning away, refusing to answer. I reached out to hold his hand, relieved when he gripped mine back, though I felt my shoulders immediately tense as I spied Quatre's brows furrow and then rise in surprise.

"...You think she means for you to use the royal favor to divorce the Duke?"

Duo's shoulders hunched. "W-Well, I mean– he's obviously her type!"

"Not happening," I growled out.

Duo looked at me, and whatever he saw in my face had him relaxing somewhat, a small smile turning his lips. He leaned closer to me, a warm weight against my side, and I wrapped an arm around his waist to pull him that last minuscule distance closer.

"You sure you didn't fall for her, 'Ro?" he asked me teasingly. "You're not into pretty blondes?"

Quatre let out an inelegant snort, "Sorry, but I'm not interested, Your Grace."

Duo paused, then broke into loud, raucous laughter.

---

The Annual Hunt Ball was meant to be the final grand celebration of the social season, the nobles' last hurrah before they returned back to their provinces for the winter or holed up in the Capital. With the shocking news that the lost princess had returned to her birthright, it was clear that this topic would dominate the entire event and serve as Princess Relena's first real introduction to the nobility under her actual title.

The day could not end quick enough for me. These social events were already headache-inducing, and now that Duo was under scrutiny for his behavior the day before and his suddenly revealed role as the Princess's secret friend, it was all the more bothersome.

The only saving grace of the whole affair was how beautiful Duo looked today. Coraline had outdid herself; Duo was a vision that could put even the most ephemeral star to shame. He wore a tight-fitted black turtleneck blouse, half-sleeves and neckline adorned with delicate white lace, a wine-red capelet with thin golden chains draped loosely over his collar, kept fastened to his shoulders and neck with tasteful gems. The blouse tucked in to high-waisted white trousers, red lace sewed in symmetrical patterns down the outer side of both of his slender legs. The trousers tucked into brown soft-leather boots, easy to move around in and heels not too high.

The maids had pulled half his long tresses into five rose-shaped buns along the back of his head, from which golden hair jewelry in the shape of leafy vines dangled to lay atop the rest of his hair which flowed loosely in gentle waves. A black pearl cho– Ruby earrings hung from his satin-soft ears, and his wedding ring gleamed prominently from his left hand.

Duo's beauty was stunning, simply incomparable to every person we passed within the glimmering halls of the imperial ballroom. Eyes trailed us wherever we went, and some part of me burned at the idea that these people could enjoy the sight of my husband, could imagine themselves worthy of his attention and time. At the very least, Count Otto was nowhere in sight, and if Peacemillion had any grace left to give me, Otto would stay gone from Duo's vicinity forever.

Feeling more than a little socialized out, especially after yesterday, we kept more to ourselves than usual. A few brave souls tried speaking with Duo directly, either ingratiating themselves to his family in general or him in particular, but they tended to leave quickly after glancing at my face. (Duo had made a game of it, seeing how far he could get in selling the idea of his inventions before they fled after meeting my eyes.) After yesterday's event, it was obvious some nobles thought an easy way to get in the good graces of our kingdom's newfound princess was to go through Duo, although many had already figured out that he was the last person you wanted to try and butter up.

This odd song-and-dance didn't really stand out, however, as the star of the event was being mobbed in the middle of the ballroom. Princess Relena was dressed in the finest luxuries of the crown, smiling and laughing among the noble throng. If she felt intimidated by her sudden popularity and power, not even a hint of it showed in that practiced smile.

We were required to be in attendance at the Annual Hunt Ball for at least three hours, and we spent most of that around the outskirts of the ballroom, Duo occasionally fielding hushed conversations with a revolving door of sycophants who spared me only fleeting looks of curiosity before hurrying off.

Duo's relationship with the ladies and dandies of his previous social circle was a curious thing to see play out so readily in front of me; the cruel gossiping and mocking mannerisms I was so used to being directed at me were instead used to cushion observations about different noble families in the Capital. It had gotten to the point where even Trowa had started to clue in, lurking just out of view as Duo's flittering court trailed in and out after telling him their assorted tales.

It was eerie, as well, to be privy to what I had always assumed to be idle gossip shared among Duo and his followers. Casual retellings of who they last saw in the shopping district or what was said at the last tea party were as readily shared as who had come into a surprising amount of money in an alarmingly short time or what the maids in their residences whispered about when they thought their doors closed.

I had learned more than I ever wanted to about Baron Everett, who had talked far too sweetly to Lady Rochelle's 9-year-old niece. There was also Marchioness Septum's latest purchase of a rare and exotic jewel that could have only come from Oz, and yet the Septum marquis family had no direct connection to the hostile kingdom. Mister Granite, the dandy son of Marquis Granite who lived in the marquessate neighboring the Armonia province, lamented the uptick in bandits along with a rising concern of human slave traders that Armonia was struggling to keep under control.

All of this was similar to how my own soldiers relayed information to me, only with a lot more giggling and sweet fragrance.

Duo admitted that such conversations were still surprising to him, but you wouldn't know it by watching him interact with his array of informants. Watching him take in their reports and then dismiss them with the ease of long practice made it look as natural as breathing, bits of information slotting into place behind his eyes in a way that I just could not understand given the circumstances.

Duo's amnesia and his vision– there were elements of both that I just could not understand. There were times it seemed as if Duo remembered more than he let on, and other times where he himself seemed surprised by just how much he could recall; it was as if the memories sat in wait for Duo to only touch upon them.

It had made me wonder, during those twilight hours where I held Duo in my arms after that disastrous confession of his book-vision, if maybe Duo didn't want to remember. If maybe, just like me, he wanted to avoid succumbing once more to the misery of who we had been in favor of who we are now, if that reluctance to forcibly recall his buried memories was maybe just his attempt at keeping his head above water.

I didn't know how to help him with that. I didn't know if this was something he had to figure out on his own, if there was anything that I could say or do that wouldn't just end up hurting him. I loved Duo back then, even when he had not a single kind word to spare me, but I loved him now as well - and more than that, I loved being able to show him that love, savored being loved in return.

If Duo recalled the memories that had made him so detest me previously - I wasn't confident we could have what we had right now.

Duo's hand tightened from where he had it tucked into the crook of my elbow as I escorted him around the room. The reason why soon made itself clear as Dorothy Catalonia stepped up to us, the smile on her face too sharp to be anything but predatory. Other nobles watched her glide towards us but soon had their attention turned away when it was clear she intended to speak too quietly to be overheard.

Dorothy Catalonia was a strange woman. I hardly knew anything about her personally, given the distance I had with the Capital and Sanc's nobility, so I had heard little about her before coming here. The only thing Duo had been able to glean from his Capital social circle was that she was an "honored guest" from Romefeller, the great-granddaughter of the current King, and her presence was enough to press even Duke Noin and her affiliates.

She was also the one to dedicate her catch from the Hunt to Duo.

I glared at her distrustfully as she approached, but unlike the sniveling cowards of the Sanc court who skittered away with merely a glower, her shark-like smile seemed to widen in reaction. I placed my hand over Duo's where it rested on my arm, angling myself just slightly forward so that it was clear she had my full attention and would have to work for the honor of Duo's.

Catalonia hardly batted an eye. "Your Graces, Duke and Duchess Yuy," she greeted with a small curtsy - a polite greeting for someone of her rank to a foreign noble. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. I've heard so much about you both that I feel truly honored."

The lies rolled so easily off her tongue that I felt my eyes narrow. There was a small huff from beside me, and then Duo subtly maneuvered me back into step beside him as he gifted our interloper with a smile that matched her own in dishonesty.

"The pleasure is our's, Lady Catalonia," Duo returned. "Though I'm sorry to say we haven't heard much about you."

Catalonia laughed, a mirthful and bright sound that cut like shards of glass. "Ah, then that is good news indeed! My grandfather worried that I wouldn't behave myself while in Sanc, but I suspect even he didn't expect such fierce competition."

That could either be referring to the spectacle Duo had put on twice now, or to the reveal of Princess Relena. Either way, the words were unpleasant to hear.

Duo stilled in that odd way he used to, hand tight on my arm, head slightly cocked as if listening to someone else speak. It was a strange mannerism he'd picked up from his time growing up in the Maxwell estate, his brother had once explained; it was one of Duo's few tells, an indicator that he was about to say something vicious in response to whoever had dared to confront him.

Before Duo could even open his mouth, Catalonia curtsied once more. As her eyes moved past us to the gathering of nobles still flocking the princess behind our shoulders, she took a few steps closer to pause at Duo's side.

"The princess wants to meet you on the eastern terrace," she said to him, almost too quiet for even me to make out. Her eyes glanced over to me, smile and eyes piercing, before looking back to Duo. "Alone."

With that, she sauntered away - and I looked up to meet Relena Peacecraft's gaze from across the hall.