"Remind me why we're going to a party at Madeleine's estate instead of touring my fancy new duchy?" I frowned as I leafed through a rack of clothes. Maxwell and Bertrand were helping me pick out an outfit for the opening dinner of the Unity Tour, which would be in Fydelia that night.

"The Unity Tour is our top priority," Bertrand said, "As is recruiting your new press secretary."

"Which brings me to my second question. Why Madeleine?"

Bertrand stopped looking at dresses and faced me squarely. "After the attack," he said, "Every interaction with the press is an opportunity to stand up to our enemies and to reassure the public that Cordonia is safe. Or, a chance to make things worse, without proper guidance. Since Justin is in the hospital, he isn't able to assist. But, he recommended Madeleine. He was always impressed with how she comported herself during her engagement tour. Setting aside the fact that she still holds considerable sway at court, you must admit that Madeleine's handling of the press has always been adept."

"I hate to admit it," Maxwell joined in, "But she's pretty much the ultimate master of the spin."

"I guess you're right," I agreed at last. "And, I'd rather have her powers of evil working for me rather than against me."

"Ooh, the classic hero-villain team up!" Maxwell said, pumping his fist a little.

Even Bertrand smiled. "Precisely! She's far more useful as an ally than as an enemy."

I grimaced a little. "Assuming we can get her to agree. I'm afraid that the 'enemy' ship may have already sailed."

"Indeed, it will be a difficult thing to achieve. You'll need every advantage at your disposal to win her allegiance."

"Here it is," Maxwell said as he found something on the rack. He held up a short, dark green halter dress overlayed with black lace.

"It's perfect," Bertrand agreed. "It matches Madeleine's house colors."

"As green as Madeleine's envy toward you and as black as her shriveled heart."

I laughed and took the dress to try it on. After getting the brothers' approval, we headed to the limo, where our bags were already waiting. "I don't see how wearing house colors is going to help," I said as we climbed into the car.

"It's a subtle sign of respect," Bertrand said, "Trust me, Madeleine will notice and, hopefully, appreciate the effort. But, you can't forget, it's not just Madeleine that you need to impress tonight. You'll also need to personally ensure that Adelaide agrees to attend your wedding."

Adelaide was Madeleine's mother, and from what little I had seen of her during the engagement tour, I could tell that she was pretty much Madeleine's polar opposite. "I think I can handle getting Adelaide to a party," I said with a grin.

"It may be more difficult than you think," Bertrand warned. "You also need a commitment to attend from her husband."

"Wait, she's married?" I asked. I didn't see anyone with Adelaide on the engagement tour. Not to mention, Adelaide was constantly flirting with any nobleman in a twenty-foot radius. I had assumed Madeleine's father was either dead or otherwise out of the picture.

"Duke Godfrey is a rare sight in Cordonia," Bertrand explained. "He spends most of his year at his holdings, the duchy of Karlington, in England."

"The way the court talks about it, he and Adelaide don't get along very well," Maxwell added.

"Which is why it would be even more impactful to have him present at your wedding. I received word this morning that he will be at Madeleine's estate for the party, so this will be your one opportunity to ensure his attendance."

I nodded and leaned back, folding my arms across my chest as I thought. "So," I said, "What do I need to know to get him on my side?"

"He and Adelaide are notoriously adversarial," Bertrand said, "And I've heard whispers that things are more tense than ever what with the end of Madeleine's engagement to Liam."

I winced. "So I'm not going to be his favorite person, either."

"Remember that Duke Godfrey is a serious man who places a high importance on titles and hates frivolity," Bertrand said. "Show him that you take your new title seriously, and that may go a long way."

The rest of the long drive was spent discussing plans for the evening, and before I knew it, we were approaching Madeleine's country estate. The ballroom was decked out with lavish table settings, candles and flowers. Sheer, glittering fabric hung from the ceiling between the golden chandeliers. Yet for all its grandiosity, the room was nearly empty of people. Liam frowned as we walked in. "My father was saying a low turnout was to be expected," he told me quietly. "Fear is still high after the assassination attempt. Some of the nobility don't want to risk being seen supporting the monarchy."

"So this is what we're trying to avoid at our wedding."

He nodded. "Exactly."

We surveyed the room, spotting Constantine and Regina speaking to Lady Adelaide nearby. Standing next to her was a severe looking man who could only be Godfrey. On the other side of the room, Madeleine stood indifferently in the corner, looking bored. Liam kissed my cheek and told me he was going to make his rounds. He wished me luck with my goals for the evening.

"Where should I start?" I asked Maxwell once Liam was gone. "Adelaide and Godfrey, or Madeleine?"

"Bertrand said that it would be easier to talk to Adelaide and Godfrey separately, so maybe start with Madeleine?"

I nodded, trying to look more confident than I felt. I strolled up to Madeleine with a quiet smile pasted on my face.

"Riley," she said politely. "Welcome back to my estate." Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she added, "Of course, it's an honor to host Cordonia's newest duchess."

"Thank you so much for the hospitality."

"It would have been unthinkable to refuse." She was looking all around the room, as if searching for someone better to talk to. "Now, since you've been officially greeted, we can put all this behind us and never speak again."

My polite smile dropped, and I glared at her. Only for a second, though, before I recomposed myself and tried again. "Actually, Madeleine, I had hoped to have a moment alone with you tonight. I wanted to talk about an opportunity for you."

Madeleine put a hand on her hip, sticking it out. "I can't imagine it would be of any interest to me. What's the post, royal shoeshine?"

I smiled as sweetly as I could manage. "I'd like you to consider joining me on the Unity Tour. As...my...press secretary."

For the first time that night, I saw Madeleine's true smile, and it was vicious. "I knew this would happen," she said gleefully. "Little Miss Rags-to-Riches has come begging for help now that she's drowning in the sea of her own mistakes."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "Right," I said, "Okay, but before you decide-"

She cut me off, holding up a hand. "I've already decided. My answer is a resounding no. Enjoy the party darling!" She sauntered off, a bounce in her step. I shook my head in a mixture of frustration and anger.

I joined Maxwell, Drake, and Hana, who were in line for food. A long buffet table was set up with sterling silver serving dishes. I updated Maxwell, who tried to stay positive. After serving ourselves, we were just about to find a table, when Drake accidentally collided with Neville, one of Hana's former suitors.

"Woah!" Drake cried, trying to save his plate from crashing to the ground.

"Watch yourself!" Neville hissed. He brushed his suit jacket before peering around our circle. He wrinkled his nose at Hana and then turned to me, affecting a cheerful tone. "Duchess Riley! I was hoping to run into you. Though, I had imagined it being rather less literal," he snuck a glare at Drake, who glared right back. Neville turned back to me and continued, "I didn't get the chance to offer my felicitations at the Homecoming Ball, what with the...unfortunate turn of events. I wanted to say bully for you! What interesting times we live in when a lowly commoner can rise to such heights."

I was still fighting to keep a polite smile, but Drake was having none of this backhanded compliment. "You should watch your mouth," he said harshly. "I'd remind you that King Liam's own mother was 'lowly.'"

Neville sized Drake up. He was a short man, a good half foot shorter than Drake, so it was almost comical the way he was trying to look down his nose at Drake. "Mr. Walker, aren't you looking...put together?" Neville said snidely. "Especially after that show you put on at the Homecoming Ball."

"It's just Drake, thanks."

"Oh, my apologies. Names just seem so...bare without some honorific."

I jumped in. "An honorific? How about hero? That's the one you get when you save someone's life."

This didn't faze Neville at all, and he continued piling insults on Drake, until I could see Drake's hand forming a fist, and I stepped in, excusing us from Neville's conversation so we could eat. "Don't let him get to you," I whispered to Drake as we sat.

"Uggh," Hana groaned, "I can't believe I even entertained the idea of marrying that jerk."

"You know," Maxwell said, "I heard he's not even planning on going to the wedding. He's just going on the tour to try to find a wife."

"Gross," I said, picking at my food (although I wasn't talking about my food).

"I hate to say it," Hana said, "But we should still try to convince him to attend. We need everyone."

Drake had been noticeably silent this whole time, and suddenly pushed back his chair, excusing himself and marching out the ballroom doors. I glanced at my friends then chased after Drake.

He was walking so fast, he was already outside by the time I caught up to him. "Wait up, Drake!" I cried, my heels clicking on the stone walkway as I chased him.

"Sorry," he said, slowing to a stop. "I had to get out of there before I did something stupid."

"After the way he acted, I think we all wanted to do something a little...undiplomatic to Neville."

"Yeah. Except we all know that if I take a swing at him, it'll only be bad for Liam...and for all of us." He ran a hand through his hair. "What's the courtly equivalent of a sucker punch?"

"Um...knowing the right fork to use when your opponent doesn't?"

Drake laughed, which made me happy. "Guy like Neville," he said, "I'm sure he knows all the forks."

We stood silently for a moment, looking around at the darkened landscape. From a distance, we heard music start playing in the ballroom. "Actually," Drake said, "Maybe there's something you can help me with."

"What?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking down. "Hell, you're really gonna make me say it?"

I was flummoxed. "I can't help you if I don't know what you're talking about."

Drake nodded behind me, gesturing towards the ball. "Dancing." He waved a hand around vaguely. "The fancy, courtly, spinning kind."

"You want to learn how to waltz?" I asked, my shock evident on my face and in my voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Desperate times, Harkness. This is for Cordonia. What do you say?"

I smiled softly. "Of course I'll help you, Drake. But I don't understand why it's suddenly so important."

He sighed. "I never fit in at court. And it never mattered before. But, well, now things are different. If we're fighting for Liam, for Cordonia, then I need the nobles to see me as something more than the King's commoner friend. Liam needs all the support he can get right now, and that means I've got to step it up."

"Literally, apparently."

"I want to be an asset, Harkness. I want to be someone."

I gently took Drake's hands, placing one on my waist and keeping the other held tightly in mine. "You already are someone, Drake. Someone amazing."

"But I need them to see that."

"We could give you a title. 'Drake Walker, the Grumpy Marshmallow.'"

Drake threw his head back to laugh. "Dammit, Harkness. How can you always make me laugh when I'm at my lowest?"

"Alright," I said, ignoring the compliment. "Let's get started."

For the next few minutes, I walked Drake through the steps of the Cordonian Waltz. As we practiced, I couldn't help remembering how, a just a few months ago, it was Hana teaching me these steps. I realized I had slid into courtly life pretty easily. Especially compared with Drake, who was stomping through the waltz like a rhino with cement boots. I shook my head and stopped him.

"You can't just remember the steps. You have to...make them smooth. Glide across the floor."

"How do I do that?"

I thought for a second, looking up at the starry sky. "Okay, um...you've been hunting before?"

"With my dad, when I was little, yeah."

"And you had to walk quietly through the woods, right?"

"Yeah.."

"That's what your movements should be like. Like the ground is covered in dried leaves and you're trying not to make noise." We started again, with Drake moving softly through the steps. "Much better!" I cried happily.

"You're a good teacher," he said. After a few more minutes of practice, I stepped back, nodding firmly.

"I think you've got it," I told him, and he smiled broadly at me for the briefest of seconds before he looked back towards the house and frowned.

"You know," he said, "I resisted anything court-related because I didn't want to change who I am for some stupid nobles. But I've seen you rise through Cordonia's ranks, and no matter what you learned, you never changed from that girl we found waitressing in New York. If you can do that, I should be able to do this and still be me. So, thanks for that."

"It's what I'm here for," I shrugged. "Well, that and uniting Cordonia."

I meant it as a joke, but Drake looked at me with sincerity and said, "I couldn't think of anyone better to unite us."

I just shook my head and led him back to the party. I still had work to do with Madeleine's family. We arrived not a moment too soon, because the second I entered the ballroom, Bertrand raced up to me with a panicked look. He let me know that Adelaide and Godfrey were separated and now was my time to strike!

Liam was talking with Godfrey, sharing some kind of honey-colored liquor, so I decided to join them first. As he saw me approach, Liam smiled, beckoning me forward. "Hello, Liam," I smiled. I turned to Godfrey, "Duke Godfrey."

"Duke Karlington," he corrected me

"Oh, my apologies," I said. "Duke Karlington. I was hoping I could have a moment of your time."

"In that case," Liam said, "I'll excuse myself." He gave my hand a quick squeeze as he moved off, leaving me alone with the Duke.

"So this is the woman behind Cordonia's downfall," Godfrey said once we were alone. He looked me up and down, and a small smile curled on his lips. "I see you've done your research. Wearing our house colors is not a bad first step."

I smiled widely. "I wanted to show everyone I support your house."

"It's...Riley, isn't it?" he said as he sipped his drink.

"Duchess Riley, actually," I said, remembering Bertrand's advice about respecting titles.

"Indeed," he said, looking surprised. "I'm glad to see you appreciate the value of your title."

"It's not something I take lightly. And, I have a very serious matter to discuss with you. I'd like to formally invite you to my upcoming wedding."

"A verbal invitation? How unconventional!"

"I realize it's not usual, but I wanted to ask in person, to make sure you know how important it is that you attend. As I'm sure you're aware, these are tumultuous times in Cordonia. Your presence will go a long way in showing both our citizens and our enemies that we remain strong. United."

"I appreciate the situation that you're in, but I won't be attending."

My face fell. "I realize that things might be a little awkward for you, since Liam broke off his engagement to your daughter..."

"A little awkward?" Godfrey spat. "I am utterly humiliated. Madeleine is my only child. Her legacy, and consequently mine, will consist of losing two crown princes. To commoners."

I swallowed hard, fighting the anger that arose with the way he said that last word. As sympathetically as I could, I said, "I can't imagine the disappointment you and Adelaide must feel."

He grunted. "Adelaide seems to think there's nothing wrong with Madeleine's failures. In fact, she seems to think it would be best for Madeleine to give up on her ambitions altogether." He shook his head. "But that's really none of your business. Good evening, your grace."

He walked off, leaving me alone, balking at my stunning failure. I sighed and started towards Adelaide, hoping I would find success with the more easy-going parent.

After breaking her away from a conversation with Regina, Adelaide smiled sadly at me. "What can I do for you, Lady Riley?"

"I wanted to extend a personal invitation to my upcoming wedding."

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I have to decline."

My eyes widened. "Really? But..."

She held up her hand. "If the disgrace of attending a formal wedding alone weren't enough to deter me, things are simply too fraught in my house to prioritize something like that."

"Things are...fraught?"

"No need to be diplomatic. I'm sure you've noticed that Madeleine and I are not getting along."

"When I talked to her earlier, she didn't give any indication things were off between you two."

"Oh, so she is here at the party? And talking to people no less. What a privilege it must be to be anyone other than her mother."

I offered a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, that must be difficult, her cutting you off like that. I would have thought she'd be looking for emotional support in light of her recent...disappointment."

"She's always been closed off, especially when things don't go her way. I just want to see her smiling, but when I tried to commiserate over some bourbon after the wedding shower...well, she's hardly spoken to me since." Adeleine finished her glass of champagne in one gulp before continuing. "And of course, my husband is already putting pressure on Madeleine to return to court when what she needs is to put herself first for a change. I wish she'd just talk to someone, you know? Open up. Maybe one of your friends could...never mind, I'm sorry. I shouldn't bother you with this. Please, enjoy the party. Someone has to." She smiled sadly at me before pushing past to find another glass of champagne.

I found my way back to Maxwell, who was standing with Hana and Drake. I shook my head sadly as I approached them. "No luck," I said quietly.

"The night's not over," Maxwell said, "Maybe you can get them to change their minds."

I shook my head. "The problem is, they're all so focused on their own problems, they aren't looking at the big picture."

"Maybe you can help them with their problems," Hana said thoughtfully. "You are rather good at that, Riley. You helped me, at least." She smiled shyly.

"Hana's right," Maxwell said. "I bet if you could help the family work through their problems, they'd be so grateful, they'd agree to come support you at the wedding! Who knows, maybe Madeleine would even agree to be your press secretary."

"Whatever you're going to do, it's going to have to wait," Drake said, nodding at something across the room. We all looked to see Neville approaching a sulking Madeleine. She gingerly accepted his offered hand, and he led her to the dance floor. The band began playing the opening chords of the Cordonian Waltz. My eyes lit up as I realized that it was time to show off Drake's new skills.

"Hey Drake, why don't we show them how it's done?"

He gaped at first, but then straightened up and nodded. "You know what? Yeah. Let's show that pretentious prick how it's done."

"Arms up, chest out, and glide," I said quietly as Drake led me to the dance floor. As we began to dance, I could see Neville scowling at us. "I think we're getting to him," I whispered.

"I guess he can't handle a little competition."

We glided effortlessly through the waltz, ending with a fancy dip that Drake improvised, which made me so proud. The room applauded as the song ended, and Maxwell gave Drake a high five as he exited the dance floor. "You've been holding out on me!" Maxwell said.

While my friends were talking, I was studying Madeleine, who had left Neville and resumed her sulking by the wall. I couldn't help but feel kind of bad for her. Maybe I could help her make peace with what had happened. At least, I could try. I just wasn't sure how. I decided to get input from my friends. "Adelaide seemed to think that Madeleine needs a chance to open up to someone, and thought that we might have better luck than she did. But, I don't know. What do you guys think?"

"You know what I think?" Maxwell said, a devious grin on his face. "I think the best way to get someone to open up is to play a drinking game with them."

"That's...actually not a bad idea," Hana said. "They say drunk minds speak sober thoughts."

"I'm gonna go make a round of my patent pending Pineapple Paradise Punch. You guys get Madeleine to join us by the outdoor fire pit, and I'll meet you there."

As he sped off, I turned to Hana and Drake. "Which one of you is going to convince her to play?" I asked, knowing it wasn't going to be me.

"I guess I can try," Hana said. She marched towards Madeleine, and in a few moments, returned with our gloomy hostess in tow.

"Pick your jaw up off the floor," Madeleine said, noting my surprised look. "I had to play the prim and proper lady while all eyes were on me. But now?" She shrugged. "I have nothing left to lose."

"Right...well, let's go!" I said, and led our small group outside.

Once we were settled around the fire, with fruity drinks in hand, Maxwell announced that the game we were playing was Cordonia's Most.

"Um...what exactly is that?" I asked.

Madeleine shot me a look. "Every Cordonian's played," she said, "But of course, I suppose not all of us are Cordonian."

Maxwell quickly explained the rules. "It's basically a voting game. On your turn, you get to ask a question starting with 'Who is Cordonia's most.' So you could say, 'Who is Cordonia's most uptight duke?'"

"Bertrand," Drake said quickly.

"Right," Maxwell agreed, "But in the game, you have to answer with someone who's playing the game. And whoever gets the most votes has to drink."

With all the rules settled, Madeleine gave the first question. "Who is Cordonia's most annoying American commoner? I vote for Riley."

I rolled my eyes.

Maxwell said, "Sorry, but I have to give this one to Drake."

"Hey," Drake protested, "I'm only half American."

"And I'm not a commoner anymore," I reminded everyone.

"I'm with Maxwell," Hana said, "It's definitely Drake." She furrowed her eyebrows and pouted, crossing her arms. In a deep voice, she said, "I'm Drake. I don't like nice food or clothes. I'd use whiskey instead of cologne, but I wouldn't want to waste the whiskey."

We all laughed, except Drake, who used his drink to point at me. "Come on, it's easily Riley! You can't be that plucky and not be at least a little annoying."

"Plucky?" I cried. "I wouldn't describe myself as plucky. And anyway, my vote's the tie breaker, so I'm voting for you, Drake. Now drink up!" I stuck my tongue out at him as he drank.

"Okay, my turn," Maxwell said eagerly. "Who is Cordonia's most likely to be the first casualty in a zombie apocalypse? All I know is, it's not Hana. She'd probably turn out to be a secret zombie-slaying warrior."

"Well," Hana said, "I bet Madeleine would forge a new civilization from the ashes, through cunning and determination!"

"Are you sure she's not leading through fear and violence in this hypothetical?" Drake asked, which earned him a glare from Madeleine and me, since we were trying to get on her good side.

"I'm pretty sure Drake would be the first to die," I said, trying to change the subject. "He'd go down in a heroic sacrifice, saving us all."

"Hey, I'll take it," Drake said with a grin.

"How noble," Hana said, "And he does have a history of selfless acts. You've convinced me, Riley."

"A foolhardy grand gesture does sound about right. Alright, Drake has my vote," Madeleine agreed.

"I'm feeling really attacked right now" Drake said as he took his second long drink of punch. As he drank, Madeleine emptied her own cocktail, noisily sucking up air through her straw with the last drops.

"Whoops," she said, a little giddy, "Looks like I need a refill!"

Maxwell and Drake offered to get everyone a refill, leaving me and Hana with Madeleine.

"So..." Hana started, but Madeleine quickly cut her off.

"Don't bother trying to turn this into a bonding moment," she said. "I'm far too 'cold and closed off' for that sort of thing. Just ask my mother."

"I just want to help," Hana said sadly. "We can see how hard things are for you right now."

"Madeleine," I said, "You may not believe me, but I really do know how disappointing it is to fall short of your goals. Especially if you're not use to it."

Madeleine shot me a deadly glare. "Oh, you don't think I'm used to failure?" She spat. "That I didn't have to work to get so close to the top? Unlike you, I didn't just stumble into success. I had to learn through trial and error."

"I know how hard you've worked-" I tried, but was cut off as Madeleine continued her rant, speaking more to the air than to either me or Hana.

"You know, in boarding school, I ran for class president every year. Do you know when I finally won? Senior year. And don't think my father didn't remind me what that failure meant each time I lost. Yet each time, I dusted myself off because there was another campaign to run. My mother brought me sign-making materials and we would get to work on next year's slogans. All those failures were supposed to be worthwhile. As long as they gave me the tools to become queen and finally make a difference."

Her face grew angry as she looked straight at me. "Now there is no next campaign, and my mother wants me to smile and have fun while my country is under attack and I'm powerless to stop it."

Hana and I were silent as Madeleine ran out of steam, sinking back in her chair, twirling her straw aimlessly. Aftera minute, I leaned in towards her, catching her gaze. "All this time," I told her, "I thought you just wanted to be queen to...you know, be queen. But it was never about that, was it? You really wanted to help people. I'm sorry I didn't understand that before. But, you can still help Cordonia. There's more than one way to make a difference in the world."

Madeleine snorted. "If this line of conversation is a ploy to get me to agree to being your press secretary, try again. Or better yet, don't. I'm still not interested."

"I know," I said, "You were very clear about that."

"Because I don't need to add you to the list of people telling me what to do or who to be. I deal with more than enough of that, between my father and my mother each wanting the exact opposite future for me. With those two, I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. Either way, I'm disappointing someone. Not that they bother asking me what I want."

"Oh Madeleine," said Hana, "That sounds awful."

"Save your pity for someone who cares," she sniffed.

Just then, Drake and Maxwell appeared with arms full of fresh pineapple cocktails. Madeleine grabbed one and started sipping. "Come on," she said, "Let's get this game moving. Drake, it's your turn. Chop, chop."

He took a minute to think, then said, "Okay. Who's Cordonia's most likely to take a bullet for Liam? Other than me, of course."

I snorted, and Madeleine rolled her eyes. Maxwell grinned and said, "Solid humblebrag. I give it a seven out of ten. Next time add an 'I don't know if it was brave or stupid' for full points."

After Madeleine was voted most likely to take a bullet for Liam, it was suddenly my turn, and I had to scramble for a question. "Who is Cordonia's most talented dancer?"

"It's my time to shine," Maxwell said with a wide grin.

Just to be contrary, Drake voted for Hana, but Maxwell did win out in the end. "For the record," he said after he took his drink, "Cordonia's Most is binding. This matter is settled for all time."

We drank through a few more rounds of the game before it petered out. By the end of it, Madeleine was actually giggling, which was so weird. We all headed back to the ball, and I noticed Madeleine immediately march up to her parents. Within a few moments, their conversation became heated, and loud. I heard Adelaide shout, "Screw decorum!" and Godfrey accuse both Madeleine and Adelaide of being drunk.

"Oh no," I groaned. This was not what I had in mind when we started drinking. I rushed over, hoping I could smooth things over. "Um," I said cautiously, "I couldn't help but overhear."

"Of course you couldn't," Madeleine said with a glare.

I was only saved from a lynching because Adelaide insisted that my "outside intervention" would be good for the family. I gestured for the three to take a seat, and then joined them at the table. I had been through enough therapy after leaving home that I felt pretty confident I could handle this.

"Adelaide," I said, "Why don't you start? You want to talk it out, so lead by example."

"That seems fair," she said, but seemed unsure where to start.

I prompted her, "It seems like you're upset because Madeleine won't relax and talk to you."

She nodded with a frown. "She's always been closed off."

"I think it's important to remember that Madeleine has suffered a loss, and that everyone grieves in different ways. You can't force her to open up if she's not ready."

Madeleine looking pleadingly at her mother. "I just want to mourn my dreams without being told to laugh it off."

"I just don't like seeing you unhappy. But I didn't realize that's how my actions were coming across."

"Earlier," I said, "Madeleine told me about how she ran for class president, and lost. And Adelaide, you were there for her with sign-making supplies. You recognized that what would make Madeleine feel better was taking action. You comforted her on her terms. That's what you need to do right now."

"I...I think I can do that," Adelaide said, reaching a hand out to Madeleine. "At least, I'll try."

Madeleine looked teary-eyed at her mother, then came to her senses enough to glare at me. "That's all well and good," she spat, "But I still don't know how it fixes what you broke, Riley."

"I get why you're upset-"

"I don't see how you could. Liam has practically handed you everything you've ever wanted."

I scowled, and let myself lose my temper a little bit. "Madeleine," I said sternly, "You were born a countess. I was born the daughter of a controlling ass-hole father and a co-dependent mother who both spent my childhood tearing down my self-esteem. If you think I haven't worked to get to where I am, haven't been cut down and disappointed and had to pick myself up, then you're just plain ignorant."

She was stunned silent for a moment, allowing me to regain my composure and add in a more diplomatic tone, "I know that Liam has been more than generous with me since I've come to Cordonia, I appreciate that very much. But please understand that I can empathize with your situation, at least. And from my own experience in overcoming setbacks, I can tell you that you need to take care of yourself. You care so much about helping Cordonia, and that's a good thing. But right now, it's okay - it's important, necessary, even - for you to take care of yourself. Imagine if you were in a race, and you twisted your ankle. Would it be wise to keep pushing forward, running on your injured ankle? No. You need to take care of yourself right now, and then you'll be equipped to find your next step forward."

"That...makes a kind of sense, I suppose." Madeleine wasn't looking at me, but her voice was sincere; I could tell my words were getting through to her.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, Madeleine," Adelaide said.

"Then why didn't you just say it, instead of trying to get me to drink or watch romantic comedies?" Madeleine asked with a scowl.

"You're right. I should have."

I smiled, looking between the mother and daughter, feeling pretty good about my skills as a family counselor. Until, that is, Godfrey spoke up. "Your advice is for Madeleine to take care of herself? I'm sure the best kings and queens accomplished great things by taking a bubble bath and sipping chardonnay." He leaned back in his chair, arms folded, and stared at me, daring me to speak.

Adelaide piped up before I could formulate a response. "Life is more than a series of accomplishments, Godfrey."

"Besides," I said, "Madeleine's already accomplished more in a quarter of her life than most people do in all of theirs. There's no doubt in my mind she's going to continue doing great things, because she is strategic, and driven, and..." I was struggling for a third positive adjective to describe Madeleine. "And formidable," I decided. I must have picked a good word, because I saw both Madeleine and Godfrey fighting smiles.

"Perhaps you are right, Duchess Riley," Godfrey said at last. He looked at Madeleine. "I just don't want you to give up on yourself, because I know you can accomplish great things."

"I..." Madeleine stammered, which was something I had never seen her do. "I...appreciate you saying that, father."

The table was silent for a minute, and I sank back in my chair a little, feeling like I had done all I could. Madeleine and her parents studied one another contemplatively. "Well," I said at last, "I suppose I'm not really needed here any longer..." I moved to stand, but Adelaide held up a hand to stop me.

"Wait, Lady Riley," she said. I sat back down, giving her my attention. "Thank you for stepping in. Your advice was surprisingly poignant."

"Indeed," Godfrey said, "If this conversation is any indication of your conflict-resolution skills, then...perhaps King Liam wasn't completely misguided in elevating you."

"Thank you?" I said.

"You were asking me earlier about attending your wedding," Adelaide said, "I think we may be able to make it after all."

"Thank you so much, Adelaide. It's important to me, and Liam, and most importantly, it's vital for Cordonia's welfare."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Just make sure the bar is well-stocked."

"I can do that," I said with a grin.

I rose from the table again, curtsying to the Duke as I left. Madeleine rose and chased after me. "Riley!" she said, pulling me aside. She searched for the words for a minute, and I tried to patiently let her think. "I'm loathe to admit it," she said at last, "But I have lost sight of what's important. And...in the interest of helping Cordonia, I'll join you as your press secretary."

"Wow, I-"

"Under one condition. I want a position when the Unity Tour is over. A prestigious one, managing my own department."

I narrowed my eyes as I thought about it. "Okay," I said at last. "I think I can make that happen."

Madeleine nodded curtly. "I'll speak with Bertrand to get up to speed."

"Berrand?" I asked, a little annoyed. "You're my press secretary, remember?"

"Mmhmm, and what's the next stop on the Unity Tour again?"

I pursed my lips as I realized I had no idea. Madeleine smirked. "That's what I thought," she said, turning on her heel. "Ta."

As I watched her strut away, I couldn't help wondering, just what had I gotten myself into this time?