The Duke finally makes me meet his aids. They're all from the North, and they follow him around during the year.

«You can trust them,» he says. «Especially Pericle.»

Pericle is his first assistant. He is older than the Duke, yet he follows his orders obediently.

«Pericle will explain to you any detail of the court you're not familiar with. He'll also tell you about the people that will interact with you and the etiquette that is in use in the Empire.»

«He's the etiquette teacher,» I utter. Finally, the person that has been used as a threat has a face.

«You don't need a teacher,» the Duke chuckles. «Just a couple of explanations.»

When the sun is high in the sky, we walk in the garden of this wing of the palace. Indeed, there aren't many people here. Only a few girls, reading on a bench or walking alone and enjoying the feeble rays.

One of them lifts her eyes while turning the page, and she grins when she sees the Duke and me. Her dark hair is loose on her back, except for two small braids, tied together on the back of her head. She's wearing a rose dress and white hat.

After what looks like a moment of consideration, she closes the book and leans it on the bench. She walks to us, and I instinctively clench the Duke's arm. Then, I remember that physical contact is forbidden here in Ethiro, and I join my hands in front of me.

«The rumours are true, then!» the girl exclaims with a big smile. She's not much older than the Emperor, now that I can see her from up close. Her childish face is adorable, with that big smile and shining eyes. Her expression is, at the same time, gentle and naughty.

«You were hiding your wife!» she continues, accusing my husband with a mischievous tone. «Are you perhaps afraid that someone may steal her away?»

«No, Martia. I wasn't in the palace,» the Duke replies. He sighs, somehow bothered by the intrusion.

«Mhm...» the girl mutters, pondering. «Why haven't I seen her before, then? She disappeared after the Emperor's declaration.»

«Would you have strolled around leisurely, if you were in her place?» he asks, and the girl calms down.

The Duke turns to me and grabs my hand, pressing it between his. The air is cold, and his skin is so warm in contrast.

«This is my little sister, Lady Martia Kyre, Princess of Lyland,» he exclaims, smiling reassuringly. «She's my only relative, so you won't need to worry about memorising other long names.»

Princess? Since my husband is the next in line for the throne, then Lady Martia must be the eldest unwed female relative of the Emperor.

«Your highness,» I greet her, folding my knees by a few degrees and keeping my back straight. It must be enough, for such an informal occasion. Glancing at the Duke and his expression, I confirm that I didn't make any mistake.

«I'm glad to make your acquaintance,» the Princess replies. «And I'm relieved that my brother finally has you by his side. Not everyone is as lucky as him, to wed the woman he's been admiring for many years.»

I blink surprised. Then, I smile graciously pretending to know what the Princess is talking about. The girl smiles back lightly, and then she walks away in a good mood, just like a puppy that has made its daily trouble.

«You damn brat!» the Duke murmurs, and I can't help but wonder whether those words have some truth in them.

«Listening to the Princess, one would think that you conquered Polis just to have me in your bed,» I say, chuckling amused.

When the Duke's face loses colour, I understand that there's more to the story than it looks. It sounds nonsense, but if I think about it...

«That's not true, is it?» I ask while the tiny bit of hope that it's just all blabbering disappears in front of my eyes. «The Princess was joking, right?»

«It's not how it looks,» the Duke states, and, with this bunch of words, he kills all the benevolence towards him that I was starting to nurture.

Why isn't he denying? His eyes are telling me that he wants to say something but can't.

«Is that so? Is it worthy? Destroying a kingdom just for me... Am I at least good enough for your grace?» I stutter as images from the past few weeks return in my mind.

He called me 'Thea' during our first night, and he already knew that I don't like being touched by people. He knows my tastes with scary precision as if he has been observing me for so long...

All the times that my eyes stopped on him, he was staring at me, during the war. His gaze was something in between interest and longing. I thought he was just envious of my position, but it wasn't my crown that he was looking at.

«Was it necessary?» I ask, in the end. He could have found a better way to attract my attention. There was no need to erase everything that I've been for my whole life.

«The war has been going on for years. I didn't start it, you know that!» he defends himself. That's right, he didn't start it. Still, there were many occasions to end it. The Empire didn't stop until they could control the whole city. It's not just for me, it can't be.

However, the fact that he's been aiming at me is troubling. I can't let him think that he achieved his goal so smoothly.

«You were the one that convinced the Emperor to put you in charge of the war when he succeeded his father two years ago. You could have stopped it, but you didn't. You refused every peace offer we made. You crushed our hopes that the new Emperor wouldn't follow the old one's steps...» I complain.

I turn on my feet and leave the garden without looking back. I bite my lips while tears cloud my vision.

He was the one that signed my fate, and I was stupidly starting to accept him.