~ Heine ~

I adjust my mask. Shadows dance through the carriage. Shouts and whistles scatter on the breeze.

There are at least a hundred people on the driveway and staircase alone.

What I wouldn't give to be able to tie Licht and I together so I can keep track of him. Licht winks. Our carriage doors are opened for us. 'Into the breach, eh, Heine?'

'Please try to keep your wits about you, Prince.'

'Do I ever not?'

And we step out of the carriage.

The air feels ten degrees hotter. A storm of noise rumbles in the charged air. I adjust my mask again, and follow Licht up the mansion's grand entrance. Nobles, aristocrats, citizens of Glanzreich and possibly even other countries, ascend the stairs in a steady stream, decked in an array of fabrics and colours.

I closely follow Prince Licht from behind. Even merely staying within range of him will be difficult, given that it looks like there's easily hundreds of people, and also, my height won't help. People are already bumping into me and stepping on the backs of my shoes.

We step onto the landing. My eyes widen. The inside of the mansion glows, through the massive open doors and Fonseinian windows that line the ground floor's walls. Large chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and I'm already weighing up the chances of them giving way and falling into the crowds. Guards, presumably belonging to the Karlsburgs' themselves, line the entrance in two rows of gleaming gold and black. It looks like a gate to another world. Upon seeing Prince Licht, the guards bow deeply and the movement follows us as we walk into the mansion.

'Prince Licht!' An older man walks up, carrying a cane carved out of ivory and topped with gold. I wonder if it could be a sword cane, but no, it isn't. A delicate-looking lady and a younger girl — with honey-brown hair in gigantic corkscrew curls — accompany him. Likely his wife and daughter, respectively. 'Thank you for gracing our little gathering once again.'

Little gathering? 'Oh, not at all, Count Karlsburg.' Licht says, raising his voice above the background noise. Even with his mask, his waist-length blond hair instantly marks him as the "playboy prince" of Glanzreich. 'You outdo yourself every year. The decorations, the guests — especially the girls.'

Licht looks over at Count Karlsburg's daughter, and she flushes, winding a curl around her finger. She looks around ten or eleven. Old enough to be temperamental, but not old enough to have a beau. 'Do you have a dance card yet, Mariella?' Licht asks. 'Because I'd love to put my name on it.' Judging by her parent's approving looks, it seems like they may be hoping for a future match. It's not too far-fetched, with Licht only being the fifth prince. Still, I wouldn't let my daughter marry him.

Mariella looks positively incandescent. She holds out her dance card and Licht dashes off a signature, before the Karlsburgs leave us to greet the next important guest.

Licht works the room, talking up the girls, laughing with the boys, charming the adults, and winding everyone around his fingers. I stand in his shadow, taking in the room. I'm not expecting to recognise anyone, but I want to weigh up the room and start mentally mapping the layout of the house anyway. It seems guards from many of the noble families of Glanzreich are in attendance. We ourselves were accompanied by a pair of guards from the Royal Guard, as a precaution. They would have followed us into the building and taken places on the edge of the room, with the other guards of different families that are present.

'Who's this little darling?' I look up to see a girl in a blue velvet dress and piled black hair at Prince Licht's side, waving a dance card in the air to dry the ink. Or to show off Prince Licht's signature. I'm not a little darling, Fräulein.

Licht is quick to deflect. 'A friend of mine! See you on the dance floor, love!' The crowds push us together, and I hold onto him to steady myself. He glances back and down, and gives me a grin. 'Still alive?'

'Just. You seem to be filling up your card with no problem, Highness.'

Licht laughs, and quickly hides it behind his hand. 'Sorry, Heine, I shouldn't laugh, but…' He breaks off and gives me an unimpressed look. 'You're pulling my leg, aren't you?'

'I'm glad you're paying attention.' At dances, only the women have dance cards. Their partners put their names down for the first dance, the second, and so on, then go to find the girl when that dance actually comes around. 'I am curious, however… How do you keep track?'

'I have a brilliant memory when it comes to girls! And I have a set pattern: open with the host's daughter or wife, then treat yourself with a pretty one, then an older one, then a cute one, and then one who's desperate because they adore you for it, and then a — '

I hold up a hand. 'I understand, thank you. While I remember, should I ask if you and Count Karlsburg's daughter are an item?'

Licht lowers his mask, and whispers, 'No. It's just social politics. She's cute, but I usually prefer girls a little bustier than that.'

I grimace. If I didn't know that his playboy reputation was a facade — to an extent — I'd be even more disgusted. 'I am truly sorry that I asked. Bear in mind that you could be overheard, Prince.'

'Not a chance.' He is probably correct. Hundreds of voices all talking at once crash against each other to make a sea of noise. Despite the atmosphere, I can't help but feel that this is the calm before the storm.

Licht eyes me, then glances around. 'I wonder if there's someone that I could — '

I hold up a hand. 'No. I am here in a professional capacity only.'

'It's not as though you're not dressed the part… And besides, what better way to be able to keep track of me than being on the dance floor yourself?'

'You are obnoxiously persistent, Highness, I'll give you that much.'

Licht pulls a face, and motions for me to follow him again. 'Gee. I'm touched.'

I'm waylaid by a servant, but I decline the glass of champagne he offers. I need to keep my head clear. 'Besides, my height complicates situations such as these.'

Licht takes a sip of cordial, and shrugs. 'You could wear heels.'

'They don't suit me. Nor make a substantial difference. Regardless, I'm perfectly capable of keeping track of you and coming to your aid no matter how we're positioned.'

'Fabulous,' Licht mutters, and tosses back the last of his drink. 'I'll sing out if I'm accosted by an inebriated guest.'

This area opens out into a staggeringly large ballroom, decorated with enough greenery and flowers to populate a summer greenhouse. The air shimmers, as though poured through with powdered diamonds. Stringed instruments sing under the touch of their players — with enough musicians in attendance to make a small orchestra. The chatter fades to a quiet murmur.

Count Karlsburg gives an opening speech for the evening. 'The dancing's about to start,' Licht whispers. 'I'll see you on the flip side, Teach.'

Really, how long can dancing go for? To a wave of applause, Karlsburg steps off the stage, and couples sweep onto the dance floor, with Prince Licht at the centre of the crowd and of everyone's attention.

I may be here a while. Younger couples seem to be the majority of the group, with parents and older adults playing the roles of wallflowers at the room's edges. I track Prince Licht with my eyes. His jewel-spattered white suit and blonde hair make him hard to miss. Still, with the sheer quantity of people here, standing on the side isn't the best position. Several people move and block my view, proving my point.

Hmph. I look around, and spot a staircase that leads to an overlooking balcony area above. More preferable. And I'm more than capable of leaping from the balcony to Licht's rescue, if need be. I slip up the staircase, passing a few over excited girls on my way up. I realise that they're a group of Licht's female 'friends,' and I'm grateful for the mask that shields my face as we pass each other by. The last thing I need is to be accosted and held up while Prince Licht gets himself into trouble.

Someone pauses on the steps above me. I move to let them pass. A dainty pair of jewelled slippers. Strike that, they're small. Child-sized.

Goodness. She looks as though she's stepped out of a picture book. She's only a little taller than Princess Adele, and between her raven-black hair and hints of midnight blue eyes beneath a mask, I can't help but stare. She suddenly starts, and curtsies, as though she's forgotten her manners. She twists her purse in her hands. She's very young to be at an event like this. Before I can put her at ease, however, she slips past me and descends the steps. My body involuntarily turns, to watch her go.

My nerves tingle. She's just a little girl… so why do I feel so uneasy? I ascend the stairs and step onto the landing. I of all people should know not to judge by appearances. Even so, meeting the princes reminded me that people aren't always what they seem. Is she merely a striking young beauty, or… could my intuition by playing up? I sigh. At any rate, now I'm in a position to spectate and see for myself.

The balcony area is bathed in shadows and flickering candlelight from the chandeliers. A few people are up here. A few gentlemen. One or two younger girls watching the dancing. I have my suspicions, but watching one of men talking confirms it. With a gesture, his jacket shifts, revealing a shoulder holster. Personal guards like myself, if they're that unconcerned about their weapons being seen.

I step forward to the balcony rail and lean against it. Prince Licht passes below, with a different girl on his arm. Someone else is already at the railing, and I muster the effort to greet him. 'Good eve…'

'Well.' Metal trickles down my spine, locking my joints into place. He turns; the candlelight reveals his features and plays over a half mask. He smiles, and lowers his viewing glasses. 'If it isn't Herr Wittgenstein. A pleasure, sir.'

It's Count Rosenberg. Prince Eins's high steward. And despite his sugared greeting, I can tell he's less than pleased to be sharing the same air as me. And the feeling is mutual.

'Count Rosenberg. What a surprise.'

We exchange nods, and turn back to look over the balcony.

'I imagine you're here to accompany Prince Licht, then?'

Wonderful. He wants to talk.

'His Highness took a fancy to the idea.' I don't want to tip Count Rosenberg off to our internal problems at the palace. However… I do wonder if he has anything to do with Leonhard's abduction. It's not as though he hasn't had a hand in stirring up trouble in the past. But ever since Prince Eins's return to Glanzreich… Rosenberg has eased off on his attacks against the princes. I wonder what caused that to change.

Rosenberg holds out his viewing glasses. 'Would you care to borrow these? I imagine you came up here to get a better vantage point.'

Khh — I force back my irritation, and accept the offer. 'Thank you.'

If I'd known how massive this event was going to be, I would have asked one of the princes if they had a pair that I could borrow. I know Rosenberg is watching me carefully, so I can't use them for long — otherwise he might realise that I actually am here as Prince Licht's guard.

I scan the room. Prince Licht, with yet another girl on his arm; the Karlsburgs; that mysterious little girl, and Licht's lady friends. …Wait a moment. Is that…? I lower the glasses, and hand them back. 'I would have thought you would be too busy with your work to frequent events such as these.'

Rosenberg sighs, and leans over the balcony rail. 'Unfortunately, I'm here in an official capacity to accompany Prince Eins —' likely the truth, as he does seem to follow Prince Eins whithersoever he goes ' — if I were here for pleasure, I wouldn't have relegated myself to the balcony.'

'His Highness is in attendance?' Then the figure that caught my eye was Prince Eins. I'm surprised to see him dancing, but I suppose as next in line — for now — he'll have to choose a wife eventually.

'Prince Licht is star of the show at these events, of course,' Rosenberg says. He twirls the viewing glasses in his hand. 'But as Prince Eins conducts his household separately to the palace, so sometimes we attend the same events as well. '

'I see.'

It seems I'm going to be stuck up here with this fiend for the foreseeable future. I'd almost rather be cornered by a cockroach, not that there's much difference.

'I am curious, Professor…'

I grit my teeth. Those four words typically spell trouble for me at the palace, and other places are no exception. Rosenberg pauses, then finally says, 'Why are you here?'

'…Would you care to elaborate?'

Rosenberg doesn't bother to look at me, instead he watches the tableau below through his viewing glasses. 'Come now. A few select commoners are allowed to attend —' a dig at my lack of rank, ' — but regardless, I find it hard to believe that you're here for pleasure.'

'As I already told you, Prince Licht requested that I accompany him on a whim.'

'Ah… But frankly, you don't look as though you're enjoying yourself. I imagine you could have escaped if you really wanted to, given your talents,' he says, toying with me. 'There's another reason for your presence, isn't there?'

I think I would get into a touch of difficulty if I pushed him over the railing.

…I don't have a good excuse handy to give him, and retaliating is going to be risky, precisely because he has a rank and I do not. I tread carefully. 'Count Rosenberg. You're overstepping yourself.'

'I agree.'

We both jump, and turn to the staircase. The gentleman standing there removes his mask.

Rosenberg steps away from me. 'Prince Eins, my lord.'

The eldest prince of Glanzreich. The deep shadows bring out his striking looks — striking, like his brothers and father, but in a darker, maturer way. He looks much older than Viktor, with a solid frame and black hair that falls around a chiselled, cool expression.

We've met before, yet only in passing. At the council meeting, where I was nominated to return to my post as the royal tutor, after having briefly left due to… difficult circumstances. At Weisburg Palace, where deigned to grace us with his presence after coming home from a trip overseas. As he only recently returned to Glanzreich — only this week — I imagine that this the first appearance he's made in society since.

'Your Highness,' I say, and bow.

Eins walks up with a heavy, loose gait, and stands beside us at the railing. And to think that Viktor's stature triggers my height complex. Eins literally overshadows me. The prince watches me keenly, and says, 'It seems you found the time between grading papers to leave the palace. Which of my brothers coerced you into accompanying them?'

Scarily sharp, his edge not blunted in the slightest since the last time we crossed paths. 'Prince Licht, Your Highness.'

Eins nods, and cuts a stern look over my head, at Rosenberg. 'I apologise for my steward. I step away for one minute and he starts harassing you.'

'My lord, we were merely having a dialogue. Rest assured, if I were to actually question someone to a specific end, I would be to the point.'

Curiouser and curiouser. Eins is disciplining Rosenberg for his behaviour. I decide to test the waters. 'How is interrogating me as to the reason for my presence here, "merely having a dialogue"?'

Eins sighs and the sound grates on the air. 'Ernst…'

Rosenberg looks irritated. 'My lord, I'm afraid my words have been exaggerated to my disadvantage.'

'No doubt through a fault of your own. I don't know why I bring you to these things. Rectify your behaviour before the next one, if you would. Dismissed.'

Rosenberg folds his viewing glasses. Keeps his shoulders relaxed. 'As you wish, my lord.' He heads for the stairs and slips away with a feline grace.

Prince Eins takes a silver tobacco pipe from his jacket. He lights it. 'The trouble with having competent people around you is that they do their work too well.'

I feel a chill. Regardless of Eins and Rosenberg's relationship — Eins is dangerous in his own right.

Eins draws on the pipe and exhales. Smoke wreathes around our heads. 'I'll make a calculated guess, but I won't attempt to pry it out of you. Are you accompanying Prince Licht as his personal guard?'

My heart skips a beat. He's hit home, so too much deflection will get me no where. '…Why would you make such an assumption?'

Eins rests his pipe against his open palm. 'Given yesterday's events, I thought it was a logical guess.'

Yesterday. Prince Leonhard's abduction. If my exchange with Rosenberg had gone on for much longer, I would have tried to question him as to whether he and Eins were involved in any way, but…

Eins laughs. 'You think I was involved, don't you?'

For the first time, I understand why Leonhard thinks jumping out a window is a good solution to a difficulty. Eins already knows I suspect him of having a hand in the princes' past misfortunes — and now he's guessed that I'm thinking he arranged to have his brother murdered. My blood freezes in my veins.

Eins looks out over the swirl of colour below. 'Don't worry yourself, Herr Wittgenstein. As the crown prince, I hope that I would never become desperate enough to resort to treachery and backstabbing to take the throne.' He exhales smoke. 'If my younger brothers ever mature enough to become my rivals, I will handle the situation accordingly, with integrity. But I doubt that they'll put off their childish airs for some time yet.'

'That is truly… excellent, Your Highness.' I should be relieved — at dodging the horrific faux pas and at his words — but I'm still very much on edge. In the past, Count Rosenberg alone was enough to nearly derail all the princes. Despite Eins's claims, what more havoc could the crown prince himself wreak?

As Eins has guessed my cards, I'll risk asking something. 'Forgive my rudeness, but given my position as the princes' guard, I have a question. How did you know about Leonhard's incident yesterday?'

If Eins was in any doubt about my role in this, I've committed myself to it now. 'I have no small amount of royal guards at my disposal. When cavalry forces were ordered to assemble near my estate as a matter of urgency, my unit of guards accompanied them. I was truly devastated to learn what had happened.' He voices the sentiment with all the emotion of a telegraph machine.

'In that case I owe you my thanks.'

'Oh? You were there?' Eins gives me an appraising look. 'So you're a guard for all four of them, not just Licht.' Again, scarily sharp.

'It's nothing I'm not capable of handling.'

'Are you omnipresent, then? What will you do when you can't protect them all at once?'

But unlike Rosenberg, Eins has a crown and a kingdom to back up his words. He's merciless.

'…I will do whatever is required, as Prince Leonhard's still being alive will testify. No matter who it may be, anyone who interferes with my charges…' I adjust my glasses. '…will have to deal with me first.'

Eins laughs darkly. 'I can see why you have Count Rosenberg's interest piqued.' Then he leans down and tilts my head up with his pipe. The metal smoulders against my cheek. 'A pretty speech. But save your breath. Trust my word — I'm the least of your problems, Royal Tutor.'

I refuse to lower my gaze, and he finally lets me go. 'Very well. I look forward to seeing your progress with my brothers, Herr Wittgenstein,' he says, and extinguishes his pipe. 'Perhaps we'll run into each other at another one of these gatherings. Until then, adieu. I've kept you long enough.'

I bow, and Prince Eins leaves and descends the staircase.

I lean against the railing. I feel as though I've been physically guarding against an attack. His Highness Prince Eins is rather… intense. Which makes it all the harder to get a bearing on him. It seems as though the prince isn't connected to yesterday's events, but it's not as though I can trust him, either. But that leaves another question. If Prince Eins and Count Rosenberg supposedly aren't behind this state of affairs…

…Then who is?

To be continued…