Evelyn's POV

"Where did you two run off to last night? You practically disappeared in the middle of the ball that was thrown in your honor." Adele pried while suggestively wiggling her eyebrows.

I choked on my bread, realizing what she implied. I immediately reached for the juice, buying myself some time to think of a politically correct answer. We were having breakfast together in her room.

"Your brother was being a possessive prick. He wouldn't let me dance with anyone and practically carried me off to the royal chambers." I summarized.

She gasped, "You mean the bedroom?"

I rolled my eyes, "Yes, but only so the apothecary could come and dress my poor ankles. Nothing more."

I could sense the disappointment in her tone, "Oh, biscuits."

I raised an eyebrow at her, "What was that?"

"Would you like more biscuits?" She tried to cover up her dismay.

I laughed, "Oh please Adele, Ash will have to do much more for me if he even wants to think about taking that step."

Or will he?

I felt my cheeks heat up as I remembered the proximity of our bodies last night.

She chirped up again, "Oh well, at least our plan made some progress! He obviously cares for you if he noticed your poor ankles and went through the trouble of having them fixed."

I nodded, "I saw a side of him that I never thought existed."

"Who knows, maybe you'll fall for him too." She shrugged.

I gave her a thoughtful look, "Too suggests that he's already in love with me, which is false. Furthermore, I may forgive, but I never forget and your brother has done many wrongs in the past - even the recent past. Far too much to even think about forgetting."

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Adele ordered.

The servant bowed deeply before informing me that court would be in session shortly.

"You can expect me shortly." I replied, dabbing my mouth with a napkin.

"Good luck!" Adele wished me with a big smile.

An uneasy feeling filled my stomach, "Thank you, I'll need it."

I met Ash at the entrance to the room. He greeted me with an alarmingly bright smile.

Could mere looks change men so drastically? What easy creatures.

"I can't wait to see your experience firsthand." He teased, referring to my comments from last night.

I frowned, "I wouldn't be that enthusiastic if I were you, my skills will put you to shame."

He responded with a husky chuckle, which had the same unwanted effect on me as last night.

Once everyone was situated in their proper seating arrangement, the squire of the court began orating the minutes from yesterday's less than productive meeting.

"The matter of discussion, or rather, debate, is war with Canterbury." He finished his summary and introduced today's topic.

Annabelle spoke up, "I am against the proposition for war."

I immediately agreed, "I, too, am against this."

I could practically hear Marcellus' exasperated snicker from across the room.

"Of course, the only two women in the room side with the unpopular opinion." He mumbled.

I was about to retaliate, only to be interrupted by Ashton, "Sir, please. Discrimination is not welcomed in this room."

Astonished by his defense, I looked at him with great admiration. He gave me a knowing smile. Marcellus, however, looked extremely peeved.

"I still firmly believe war is the only way to solve this issue. In addition to that, if we conquer Canterbury, we'll be consequentially expanding Sedalia. I see no downsides to this plan, and neither does the rest of this esteemed court. Am I right, men?" Marcellus spoke with great confidence.

First it was revenge, now it's about the conquest of innocent lives? What's worse is that his proclamation was met with resounding consensus.

The squire calmed the room down, "Now, according to court rules, regardless of the majority opinion, the proposition must earn the king's approval first."

Everyone expectantly turned to look at Ash, who looked burdened by the pressure.

"I... need more time." He pronounced thoughtfully, causing a few shoulders to visibly slump.

I couldn't help but find amusement from Marcellus' bewildered expression.

"But your majesty, time is a valuable resource. I'm afraid the more we delay, the stronger Canterbury gets!" Another man spoke up.

"Gentlemen, I understand your concerns, but I have concerns of my own. Please, have trust and bear with me." Ash answered, sounding much like his father.

Once the protest was silenced, Ash looked at me and nodded towards the door, indicating that it was time for us to leave. I took his cue, as did the squire, and the meeting was dismissed. Once we were back in the more private quarters of the castle, I stopped and examined him.

"What?" He asked, catching my gaze.

"Nothing. I didn't expect that from you, that's all."

"Expect what?"

"Your courtly presence." I mumbled, not wanting to fully admit to it.

He cocked an eyebrow up, stepping towards me.

"I thought your courtly experience was going to put me to shame. Did it happen in reverse today?" He snickered.

What an ass.

I turned away from him and found myself facing a portrait of the late King Gavin.

"Not entirely. Why did you ask for more time? You're not actually contemplating war, are you?"

He didn't answer. I turned to face him again, only to find that his focus was on the portrait of his father. In every portrait, the king bore the same stern expression, which only softened near his light brown eyes. His facial features were rugged, much more than Ash's, who took after his mother.

He finally answered, "I wonder what he would have wanted."

That was easy, "The best for his kingdom."

His gaze met mine, "Then wouldn't it be best for Sedalia to expand, grow more powerful? It's not all about revenge, but it sure would make me happy to see that murderer suffer."

"Ash you're thinking about the means to an end. People's lives are involved in war. You can't use people as means to an end!"

He locked eyes with me, confused.

"But people would be honored to die for their kingdom. I'm willing to die for my kingdom." He answered.

I massaged my temples with my fingers, "You can't just take advantage of people's loyalty like. Think about their individual lives, their commitments... who would truly be okay with leaving all that behind?"

He stared with that blank expression again. Then it hit me.

"You've never actually spent a day in the countryside, have you?" I asked.

"Of course I have, I used to go on trips with my father all the time."

I shook my head, "That doesn't count. You've never fully immersed yourself with the common society, have you?"

"You mean the peasants?" He asked.

I gaped at him, wide-eyed and tempted to slap the ignorance out of him.

I let out an annoyed sigh before answering, "Yes, the 'peasants', who happen to comprise the majority of your kingdom."

He looked down before answering, "No."

Today was going to be a long day.

"We're going to pay the countryside a visit this coming week." I stated, not leaving any room for rebuttal.

Surprisingly, he didn't protest and followed me out.