But what about the others?

Elaine recalled seeing the heirs from some noble Houses and not from others. Did the implicit rules change without her knowledge? Since the 'incident' during the Crown Prince's birthday almost a year ago, Elaine had not attended another royal banquet, nor did she socialize with other noble ladies. The former was to prevent further raising suspicions from the Duke after her disastrous journey to the palace. Even for the Emperor's and other royal members' birthday celebrations, she would always feign sickness and, thus, avoided participating and decreased her encounters with Alexander. If Gerard realized Elaine's motive, he did not pierce through it and accepted her fragile excuses. The latter reason was more benign. The original Estella abhorred artificial geniality and pointless gossip because of her experience at the Croix estate. And Elaine was happy to continue her predecessor's solitary preference. After all, the fewer people she interacted with, the less they would realize the minor differences between Estella and her.

"It is a pleasure to see you too, Duke d'Amboise," Gerard replied, noticeably lacking the other party's enthusiasm. "Where is young Elias?" he inquired.

Cornelius reached their location and greeted the Grand Duke before answering Gerard. "Unfortunately, he is currently on another expedition." His hand combed through the grey-dabbled strawberry-blonde hair and shook his head. "That child is stubborn. I wanted him to attend His Highness' banquet before leaving, but he refused." His tone lowered, and the joviality disappeared. "Though I don't disagree with his reasoning."

"Young Elias is ambitious," Gerard commented, ignoring the Lévis Duke's last remark. "He has a bright future ahead."

"Of course," Cornelius laughed, and his merriment returned. "Just like us back then."

Flashes of emotion appeared, then immediately vanished in the Duke's silver eyes, hidden under a mild countenance. Unless one paid careful attention, the subtle change would have gone unnoticed by many. Elaine was one of the lucky few who caught it. And the sole reason for her observation was a well-timed coincidence, landing her gaze on Gerard at the exact moment during his exchange with Cornelius. Was it the emotion of anguish or regret? She could not distinguish. Elaine withdrew her eyes, afraid the Duke might detect the curiosity brimming within them. Due to his villainous status, the story disclosed limited details about Estella's father's past. She only learned of his bygone friendship with the Duke of Lévis through the Croix's archives. What destroyed their relationship two decades ago? Elaine wondered, though she dared not ask the involved parties.

Her gaze switched to other individuals to clear her mind of both dukes' puzzling history. After giving Elaine a courteous greeting, the d'Artois brothers turned their attention to the Marche siblings, chatting happily with each other. While the younger d'Artois brother cycled through topics with the male Marche twin, a suspicious pink shade colored the older brother's cheeks, smiling sheepishly at Amara. Either the young girl failed to notice, or the feeling remained unreciprocated, based on her normality to his intense gaze.

Another minor detail the book never mentioned. Elaine slightly cocked her head, amused and intrigued at the lighthearted discovery. Before her engagement and marriage to Alexander, did Amara hold affection for another? It was one more unanswered question added to the mysteries surrounding the plot. Though the puppy love side story temporarily distracted Elaine from her worries, she had no time or desire to delve into pointless speculations of other characters.

"His and Her Royal Majesty, the Sun and Moon of the Empire."

"Her Royal Highness, the High Lady."

"His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince."

The Herald's series of announcements halted all conversations and movements, and an expecting silence blanketed the atmosphere. Everyone stared at the Ballroom's inner entrance, waiting for the banquet's royal hosts. The guards pulled open the double door, revealing the Emperor and Empress together, gliding elegantly toward the center. Behind them was a beautiful and dignified noblewoman of approximately Liviane's age—refined features complemented by light, coppery golden hair and ruby-colored eyes. She was the Duke of Lévis' younger sister and Alexander's mother, Lady Maria Claris d'Amboise. Finally, the Crown Prince entered.

Though his mother is here, the star of the night still has not shown himself. Elaine studied the recently arrived royals, attempting to discern peculiarities in their mannerisms. Louis seemed normal, donning his usual princely smile while shooting seductive glances at young, naïve noble ladies, enthralled by his pleasing visage and the idea of a fairytale romance. Perhaps he was unaware like her. Given Estella's fiancé's cowardice, he would have used any excuses and means at his disposal to avoid a life-threatening situation. However, was the event tonight dangerous? Elaine still had no response to the vexing question. Her gaze trailed to the ruling monarch and his spouses. Yet, before she could scrutinize her targets, the Emperor began his speech.

The deliverance was short and familiar. The Emperor expressed gratitude to the Gods for their patrons and the knights and soldiers for the Empire's expansion. He then veered the focus to the Third Prince, praising his younger son's aptitudes and listing his recent outstanding achievements. Many in attendance regarded the compliments as top honors to Alexander and his mother, though to the detriment of the Empress and Crown Prince. Peeling through the pleasantries, however, everyone knew it was a warning to his heir that he was replaceable. Hushed murmurs and whispers erupted among the aristocrats' circles, with hundreds of eyes watching the royal family for their slightest movements. Lady Maria maintained her serene glow in contrast to the pallid complexions on the Crown Prince's and Empress' faces.

"His Royal Highness, the Third Prince," the Herald called, again snatching the crowd's attention.

At last, tonight's main character had arrived.