Boarding the plane, I still thought Maxwell was kind of nuts. I even felt a little guilty for taking advantage of him, for agreeing to compete when I knew I hadn't the slightest chance of winning the crown. But, as I settled into the private jet, I realized that I wasn't the only one who knew I didn't belong. Drake was sitting, giving me a nasty glare, then he turned away without a word.

Maxwell, on the other hand, was chipper as ever. "Say good-bye to New York and hello to Cordonia!" He told me as he flopped into the seat next to mine.

As the plane took off, Maxwell and Drake both fell asleep quickly. I guess they had gotten up a lot earlier than me, and needed to catch up on sleep after last night's shenanigans. I didn't mind, though. The quiet gave me time for my brain to catch up on what was happening. I wasn't panicking as much as I thought I should be. Mostly, I was excited to see Liam again, and looking forward to a great adventure. At the very least, I'd be able to check a few places of my bucket list.

It was a long ride, but I had downloaded a few e-books all about Cordonia. It was a small country, and I vaguely remembered learning about it in school, but I thought I should know what sort of place I was going to be ruling – okay, I laughed at that thought, but I still wanted to get to know Cordonia. By the time Maxwell and Drake woke up, we were nearly there, and I was half-way through my second book. I looked at Maxwell with a smile. Reading about the country had made me very eager to land. "I can't believe this is really happening," I told him.

Drake was the one who answered. "Believe it," he said grimly. "We'll be landing soon, ready or not. And if you're not ready, those ladies at court are going to eat you alive."

Maxwell threw a pillow at Drake. "Yeesh, don't scare her, Drake!" He turned to me. "You okay, Riley?"

"Honestly," I said, "I'm terrified."

"I knew it," Drake scowled. "She's not gonna last a week."

"I don't get why you're being so grim about this," I responded.

He sighed, and his face softened. "Look, no offense, but I've seen girls like you come and go. It never ends well. Not for you, not for Liam, not for the royal family."

"Riley's not some crown-chaser," Maxwell said firmly.

"Drake, I'm different from those girls," I said. Even as I said it, I knew how cheesy it sounded, but what could I do? It was the truth. "Liam being a prince doesn't matter at all to me."

Drake just shook his head. "That's exactly the kind of naive thinking that's going to land you in trouble here."

Before I could reply, the pilot announced that we were about to begin the descent.

Maxwell hit me on the shoulder and pointed towards the window. "Hey, look! You can see Cordonia out the window! Riley, you won't want to miss this!"

I followed his gaze and looked out to see a beautiful, old-fashioned city with red-tiled roofs and green fields. At the top of a large hill was an enormous palace, presumably where Liam lived. For probably the hundredth time that day, I had to remind myself that this wasn't a dream – this was really happening! "That's Cordonia?" I said. "It looks like something out of a fairy tale! The sparkling ocean, the swaying trees-"

"If you burst into song, I'm jumping out of the plane," Drake cut me off.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm just saying it's beautiful."

"It is, isn't it?" Maxwell agreed. "Are you ready?"

I nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."

After we disembarked, we took a town-car to the palace. "Welcome to your home for the next few months, Riley," Maxwell said, flourishing his hand as I looked around the perfectly manicured garden out front. I stopped short at the palace itself – it went on for as far as I could see in either direction, and was at least three stories tall.

"This is where I'm staying?" I balked. "I didn't realize I'd be living in the palace!"

"Most of the nobility live here while the social season is underway," Maxwell explained. "Including all the ladies vying for Liam's hand."

Drake piped up, his usual cynical charm quick to bring me back to earth. "Yeah, living under one roof just makes it easier to attend the rose ceremony later."

Maxwell rolled his eyes. "Drake's just kidding. At least about the roses. Anyway, I'll show you to your room, Riley."

"This is my cue to take off," Drake said. "See you around, if you're lucky."

I shook my head as Maxwell and I headed into the palace. As we climbed the grand staircase (with an actual red carpet!), I couldn't help but ask. "So what's the deal with Drake? Why is he so jaded?"

Maxwell waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, don't mind him. Drake's never really fit in."

"Not used to courtly life?"

"Definitely not. He's a commoner. He's...always been an outsider here. Even if he is Liam's best friend."

I had a hard time reconciling the idea of charming and sweet Liam being best friends with grumpy, cynical Drake. But I was so distracted by the palace décor, that I didn't give it much more thought. I followed Maxwell down hallway after hallway, marveling at the ornate trim, tiled mosaic floors, gilded archways, and other incredibly rich furnishings in every room. Finally, we stopped in front of a large wooden door with roses carved into each of six panels. "Your room's here in the west wing," Maxwell said. "In case you need anything from me or my brother, our rooms are just a couple doors away." He gestured down the hallway and I nodded, glad that he'd be nearby, since I wasn't sure I would ever be able to find my way out of here. Then, the other part of what he said registered with me.

"I didn't know you have a brother," I said.

"Yeah, an older brother. His official title is Duke Bertrand Beaumont. As the eldest son, he's the heir and I'm the spare."

I laughed, and Maxwell smiled. "You'll see him tonight," he went on. "He'll be excited to meet you. So, are you ready to see your room?"

I nodded excitedly, and he pushed open the heavy oak door. As I entered the guest room, I felt like I was living a Jane Austen novel. This is the part where the poor girl comes to live with the wealthy nobleman and is overwhelmed by the grandeur of her new life. The entire room was larger than my apartment in New York. "Wow..." was all I could say.

"As a royal guest, you're spared no luxury," Maxwell told me.

I looked at him, a devilish grin appearing on my face. "So nothing's stopping me from jumping on the bed?"

"Only your dignity."

"Oh, that won't be a problem," I said as I leaped onto the fluffy mattress. I sighed and pulled one of the many soft, downy pillows towards me, holding it like a baby doll against my chest. "Ahh...this is so much better than memory foam."

Maxwell was looking at me with amusement, but he didn't say anything about my behavior. "I'll let you settle in before your big debut tonight."

I sat up on the bed. "My what?"

He shook his head, "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that you're not used to all this. The first event of the social season is tonight. The masquerade. It's the ball where all the suitors will be presented to the Prince, as well as to the King. Not everyone dresses in costume, but you can be sure that the ladies competing for Liam's attention will be pulling out all the stops." He looked towards my suitcase with a frown. "I'm guessing it's too much to ask if you've got a costume or fancy ballgown in there."

"I packed dresses!" I said defensively.

"Well, I wasn't sure, so I've made an appointment for you at the palace boutique. Maybe you'll find something you like better there!"

"I guess I'll check it out."

"Remember, tonight is very important. It's your chance to make a first impression on all the influential people at court and to stand apart from everyone else!"

At that point, all I could do was outright lie and tell him, "Don't worry, I've got this." He seemed to buy it, and gave me directions to the boutique before retiring to his own room to get ready.

As I entered the boutique, wondering why a palace had what appeared to be a commercial business inside it, I was surprised to see someone already there. A young woman, around my age or a little younger, in her underwear, holding up a dress on a hanger, looking thoughtfully at it.

"Oh, sorry!" I cried out, spinning around to give her privacy. "I didn't realize someone was already here!"

"No problem," she said. Her voice was sweet and refined, and I realized this was probably one of my competitors. "To be honest, I didn't have an appointment. I suppose you're here to prepare for the Masquerade tonight. Since you're here and not already dressed, I assume that you're just like me...searching desperately for something to wear."

"More or less," I said, staring up at the ceiling.

"The seamstress is running late, but I can show you around. This boutique has some exquisite gowns. Let me just slip my dress on...there! You can turn around." She giggled. As I turned, I saw her wearing a pretty pink sequined ballgown. She was struggling to zip it up, so I offered her my help. "Thank you," she said. "Not many girls here are like you."

"Helpful?"

"Nice. I'm Hana by the way."

"Riley."

Hana pulled on a matching pink mask and stood back, admiring her ensemble. "Oh, this dress is perfect! What do you think?" She spun around, her skirt billowing up slightly as she twirled.

"You look beautiful," I said, hoping my jealousy wasn't apparent from my tone.

"Now, what about you? One must have a mask for the Masquerade!" She looked around, pulling a few items off the racks. "Have you seen the angel costume? You'd look amazing in white. Or there's also a red one, if you're feeling more devilish."

"I'll take a look." She seemed so sweet, but I couldn't help feeling wary. It must have been all of Drake's dire warnings. As I tried on the outfits Hana picked out, though, I decided to ignore everything Drake said. These outfits were really stunning, and Hana seemed sweet. Even if we were 'competing' against each other, I wasn't going to make enemies out of the other women here.

I settled on a slinky red dress that showed off my curves, and then Hana helped me match it with a pair of devil horns and a black mask. When I was done, I stood back so she could see the complete outfit. "How do I look?"

"Hotter than fire, my dear."

I giggled and said goodbye as we both headed back to our bedrooms to finish getting ready. For the first time all day, I was feeling hopeful about this whole crazy scheme.

A few hours later, after I painstakingly curled my hair and touched up my makeup, I met Maxwell at the bottom of the main staircase. He nodded appreciatively when he saw me and complimented my outfit. Then, he escorted me towards the ballroom. As we walked, he explained a bit more about the evening's festivities. "As soon as you enter, you'll tell the herald your name and title so that you can be announced."

"What is my title?"

"Well...you don't really have one. But since my family is sponsoring you, then you could technically be considered a lady."

"All my life I've wanted to be technically considered a lady," I said, my dry joke falling on deaf ears.

"Or we could go with your hometown," Maxwell continued, deep in thought. "I guess I should have asked before, what's your last name?"

"Harkness."

"Well, it's not as classic a name as Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, but it'll do."

Suddenly the doors to the grand ballroom were thrown open, and we made our entrance. Maxwell was announced first and descended the staircase alone into the ballroom, leaving me standing bewildered by the herald. "Uh," I stammered, "Please announce me as Lady Riley Harkness?" The herald announced me, and I walked down the stairs into the ballroom, praying that I wouldn't trip or otherwise make a fool of myself. I met Maxwell at the bottom of the stairs, but he didn't stay long.

"I've got to talk to Bertrand for a sec. You'll be okay on your own, right? Just mingle." He didn't give me a chance to respond before he darted off into the crowd. I took a deep breath.

"Mingle," I said to myself, "Right. I can do that." I was a waitress, I was used to chatting with total strangers. Still, I was hoping to have a familiar face with me as I got to know everyone. As I looked around the ballroom, I did see a few friendly faces. Or, I saw one friendly face (Hana's) and one grumpy yet familiar face (Drake). Hana was talking with a group of ladies all dressed in exquisite ballgowns and masks. I headed that way. Hana smiled the instant she saw me.

"Hello again!" She chirped. "I'm glad to see you made it!"

I thanked her and she introduced me to the other ladies, then asked me what I thought of the Masquerade. "It's a little overwhelming," I replied.

"I know what you mean," she said, her mouth turning down a bit. "I've been coming to these events since I was a little girl!"

"It never gets easier?"

"To be honest, it gets more complicated. At least as a child I could run around and have a little fun!"

I smiled. "Who says we can't do that now?"

Hana shook her head, but she was smiling too. "Believe me, it'd cause quite a scandal." She looked like she was going to say more, but then she noticed someone across the room. "Please excuse me, there's someone I need to greet. But maybe we can talk later?"

I nodded and she left. I excused myself from the other ladies, not ready to get into any drawn out conversations with these strangers. Still, I was feeling much better after talking to her, and I decided to see what Drake thought of the ball. I approached him, standing alone against a wall. He gave me a stiff bow as I approached. "Good evening, my lady," he said.

I paused, realizing he didn't recognize me. Then I broke out into a grin. "So you do have manners."

His eyes went wide with recognition. "Riley? Is that you?"

"'Tis," I said, giving a little twirl. "You really didn't recognize me?"

He shook his head, "I...I was caught off guard. You clean up well."

"Wait. Was that actually a compliment?"

"No!" He cleared his throat, assuming his usual icy glare. "Looking the part doesn't mean you're going to be welcome here, you know."

"Well, you're certainly not helping me feel welcome, are you?"

"Compared to most of the nobles here, I'm your best friend."

I shook my head. "Drake, everyone here's been perfectly nice."

"Sure, to your face. You don't want to know what they're probably saying about you behind your back."

I sneered, but it wasn't at him. I realized he might be right. "If you hate them so much, why are you even here?"

"I'm friends with Prince Liam. I'm here for him, not anyone else."

"What about Maxwell?"

Drake lost his patience and snapped, "Look, you don't know him like I do. You don't know any of them like I do."

Before I could respond, a noble lady walked up and took my arm. "Pardon me," she said, "But I absolutely must steal her away." She pulled me away from Drake before I could protest. Not that I wasn't grateful to leave that conversation, but who was she to lead me around like a dog on a leash?

"Forgive me for being forward," the woman said, "But I've never seen you here before. I always notice when the heralds announce a new name. I make it a point to know all the ladies at court. I'm Lady Olivia Vanderwall Nevrakis, Duchess of Lythikos." I would have greeted her or something, but she really didn't stop for breath. "Lady Riley Harkeness, I can't say I'm familiar with your house. It must be...nouveau. Well, seeing as you're the new girl at court, let me give you some advice. When you're presented to the king, you should kiss his shoe when you curtsy to him. It's Cordonian custom to show deep respect and reverence for the monarchy. You're so lucky I was here to warn you! Otherwise you would have looked completely ridiculous."

As Olivia finished her speech, Maxwell came rushing up to me, and she excused herself quickly.

"Riley," Maxwell said, taking my arm. "Prince Liam is here! Ready to see him again?"