A/N: Not sure it matters to anyone, but if you're following along with the game, I've mixed up the order of events in the next two chapters, just because it made more sense to me this way. And, a few other changes as well; hopefully good ones, though!

"How are you feeling about staying with Penelope?" Maxwell asked me as we pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant the next day. The court was about to meet Penelope and her parents for lunch.

"Eh," I shrugged. "I mean, I may not trust Penelope entirely, but I'm not holding a grudge against her, if that's what you're asking."

"Truly?" Bertrand asked, surprised. "Despite the part she played in your scandal?"

I looked from him to Madeleine, noting the shocked expressions they both wore. "I know she feels badly about it. What good does it do to stay angry?"

Madeleine shook her head as if she couldn't believe what a fool I was. "Well, regardless of your feelings for her, I hope you've at least read the dossier I put together for you on her family."

"The Duke and Duchess of Portavira," I said, holding up the three-inch-thick binder that Madeleine had deposited on my bed that morning. "How did you even have time to create such a massive file?"

Madeleine looked bored as she answered me. "Much of the information was pulled from the files I created during the last social season."

"Well, I got to skim it, but, I kind of got sidetracked reading the news articles about Portavira's earthquake and flooding. And then I got even more sidetracked looking at pictures of Penelope's poodles. Did you know she has a Pictagram account set up for them? They really are adorable!"

Madeleine let out a long-suffering sigh. "Despite her unfortunate obsession with her dogs, Penelope does still have a role to play. Having an entourage at court is not about vanity. It's about influence. Showing that you have support from the houses around you. Which means, you not only have to convince Penelope to join you on tour, but you also have to win the support of her parents. I hope you at least managed to learn something about them." When she saw my face, she scowled and moved to sit next to me. She flipped open the binder and pointed to a picture. "Emmeline Brunhold, Landon Azzara. She is the rightful heir to Portavira, so she kept her maiden name when they married. Emmeline will be more difficult to convince, but Landon has a soft spot for his daughter, so use that to your advantage. Convince him you have Penelope's best interests at heart, and he might take your side."

"Okay," I said, "So treat Penelope the exact opposite of how you treated her."

Maxwell stifled a laugh while Madeleine rolled her eyes. "I suppose a diplomatic touch isn't a bad idea. And lastly, I want you to add this to your outfit," she reached into her purse and pulled out a necklace. I slipped it on, and pulled out a compact mirror to study it. It looked like a narwhal curled around my neck.

"This is adorable," I said happily.

"More importantly," Bertrand said, "It's the house sigil for Penelope's family. Along with your violet dress, you're sure to make a good impression on Landon and Emmeline."

A bright flash of light went off, and I looked to its source. Maxwell had his phone out and was snapping a picture. "For my scrapbook," he said brightly. Madeleine shot him a glare, and he sheepishly tucked the phone away.

"Now that you're up to speed," she told me, "Let's go."

"What a view!" I cried as we walked along the pier towards the restaurant. From another limo, Liam strolled towards me, meeting me halfway and taking my hand.

"Portavira is said to have the clearest waters in all of Cordonia," he informed me as I continued to gawk at the crystal blue waves lapping against the docks.

Penelope met us by the doors of the restaurant, smiling widely. As soon as I was within reach, she pulled me into a tight embrace. "Lady Riley!" she said warmly. "Or, rather, Duchess Riley. Sorry."

I chuckled. "Just Riley is fine, Penelope. We're friends, after all."

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear you say that. After all that I've put you through..."

I waved a hand quickly. "Please, let's just start fresh from here. After the attack at the palace, we've all got better things to worry about. How are you doing after all that?"

She frowned and looked down. One hand reached across her torso to grab the opposite arm, a half-hug of insecurity. "It was so scary," she said quietly. Then, she quickly shook it off and smiled brightly. "But I'm glad you're here now!" She turned to Liam with a curtsy. "And of course, I'm happy to see you, King Liam. Thank you so much for being here."

"Thank you for hosting us," he said with a bow.

Penelope held the door open, beckoning us inside. "Welcome to Cordonia's premier yacht club!"

Inside the restaurant, Penelope eagerly led us to a set of reserved tables. I recognized her parents from Madeleine's binder, and returned their warm smiles as we approached.

"Mom, Dad, this is Riley!" Penelope said brightly as I shook hands with each of her parents. "Riley, this is Landon and Emmeline, my parents."

"You look lovely, Duchess Riley," Emmeline said, smiling at my necklace. "I see that all the compliments we've heard about you were well-deserved."

I blushed and thanked her as they turned to Liam, and then to the rest of our party for introductions. Finally, once we were all seated, waiters began bringing out a round of appetizers. Crab legs with butter...I suppressed a moan of delight as I bit into the savory meat.

Maxwell was not as shy about expressing his appreciation. "I could eat nothing but crab legs for a year," he said.

"You'd die of cholesterol," Drake replied.

"But what a way to go!"

Emmeline laughed at the exchange. "I'm glad you're enjoying the food," she said.

"I only wish we had a wider variety to offer you," Landon added with a frown. "The recent floods have taken quite a toll on our fishing industry."

"These are hard times for all of Cordonia, as I'm sure you're aware," Emmeline told me.

I nodded and matched her serious face. "That's actually why we're here. Liam and I are inviting the whole court to our wedding, and we were hoping your house would attend."

"It'll be a demonstration of Cordonian unity, as well as a celebration of our marriage," Liam added.

Emmeline gave us a sympathetic smile. "We're delighted for you, but..." she paused and glanced at her husband. His brow creased with worry, and they both sighed in unison.

"I'm not sure we can leave Portavira while it's in such dire straits," Landon said at last.

"Not even in support of your King?" Madeleine cried from the other end of the table.

"I appreciate what you're all trying to do," Landon said, looking apologetically at Madeleine. "But Portavira needs our undivided attention. I'm not sure how we could leave."

"It'll be hard enough parting with Penelope now that you've come to return her to court." Emmeline added, and I saw Penelope's eyebrows shoot up.

"What?" she cried.

"That's part of why you're here, isn't it?" Emmeline asked me. "I told you everyone at court would miss you, dear!" she added, directing this part to Penelope.

"But, I only just got home," Penelope insisted. "Merlin and Morgana still haven't forgiven me for leaving! At least they'll play with me now, but they keep giving me those sad puppy dog eyes..."

"They're dogs, darling," Emmeline said, a little impatiently. "Those are the only eyes they have."

Landon was watching this exchange with a worried frown. "Does Penelope really have to go back to court?" He looked at me, and I almost jumped out of my seat. I had been watching the family exchange, but didn't realize that I was expected to participate in this conversation.

I quickly thought and replied, "Only if she wants to," I glanced at Penelope with a smile. "Of course, we miss you, Penelope. And I could use all the support I can get." I looked back at Landon and added, "But if she's not ready to come back yet, I understand."

"Thanks, Riley," Penelope told me with a smile.

Just then, our main course arrived, and we ate silently for a while. I took turns glancing at each of my friends, and at Penelope's parents, trying to gauge the situation. After a few minutes of eating, we slowly began a more casual conversation.

"This is a great place you've got here," Drake said, filling another awkward pause.

"I'm glad you enjoy it, though we don't own the restaurant," Landon said with a chuckle.

I'm sure he meant it as a friendly joke, but Drake looked embarrassed, and stumbled over his words to correct himself. "No, I didn't mean that! Not that it would be bad if you did. I just meant..."

As he struggled, Hana jumped in to save him. "I think what Drake is trying to say is that your duchy's a lovely place."

Drake sighed and gave Hana a grateful look. "Yeah. That."

I couldn't decide how I felt about Drake trying to fit in; I understood where he was coming from, of course, but I hated that he felt like he had to change in order to be seen as valuable to the nobles. I supposed this was how he had felt about me, way back at the beginning of the social season. And, I thought, looking at Liam fondly, that all turned out pretty well. I decided not to worry about Drake, and focused my attention back on Landon and Emmeline. I wasn't giving up hope that they could be persuaded to attend the wedding.

"So," I said to Emmaline, putting on my best serious face. "Is there anything Liam and I can do to help your relief efforts?"

"That's very kind of you, Duchess Riley," Emmaline said, the surprise clear on her face.

"I've allocated all the resources the crown can spare," Liam said, "But if there's anything Riley and I can do personally..."

"We're here to help," I finished, taking Liam's hand and smiling at Emmaline and Landon.

"Thank you both," Emmaline said, "But we'll just have to hope that tomorrow's charity polo match raises the money we need." She frowned. "So far, we've barely sold half the tickets."

"A fundraising event," Madeleine said, looking at me from across the table with a careful eye. "How interesting..."

I realized she was already figuring out how to leverage this event in my favor, and felt grateful, not for the first time, that I had her evil powers on my side at last.

"You know what might raise ticket sales?" I said, turning my gaze from Madeleine to Liam. He caught the gleam in my eyes and grinned.

"If Cordonia's King and soon-to-be Queen were to play in the charity match," Liam was the one to finish my thought this time, and he squeezed my hand to show he was proud of the idea.

"I'll warn you, I've never played polo before," I told Penelope's parents, "But if it'll get Portavira the relief money you need, I'm willing to spend a few hours on horseback."

"That is a very kind offer," Landon said, smiling widely at me and Liam. "It's refreshing to see other nobles taking an interest in our little province."

"A celebrity match would be sure to draw a crowd," Emmeline added, "If you're sure you're up for it, who are we to refuse such a generous offer?"

With a new plan to put into action, the rest of the lunch flew by. As we were leaving the restaurant, Landon pulled me aside to thank me once again. "Not just for the offer to help in the polo match," he explained, "But for your kindness towards my daughter. Penelope is lucky to have a friend such as you. It means a lot to me to know that at least one person would be looking out for her, if she does go back to court."

"I do hope she does, and of course, we'd all look after her; everyone loves Penelope."

He nodded thoughtfully. "In regards to your wedding, I can't make any promises until we assess our relief income from the match, but if everything goes well, I would be honored to lend my support by attending your wedding."

"Oh, Your Grace, that's so good to hear!"

Landon chuckled and shook his head. "Please, call me Landon." He gave me a friendly clap on the shoulder and we parted ways. I bounced up to Liam, who was standing with Madeleine near the end of the pier.

"That was a decent performance," Madeleine told me when I drew near.

"Um," I said, my smile dropping a little, "Thanks? I guess?"

"You did wonderfully, Riley," Liam assured me.

"Well, I must have, since Landon just said he might just make it to our wedding after all!"

Liam smiled widely and gave me a hug. "That's great! You are a miracle worker, Duchess Riley."

"Don't let one victory go to your head," Madeleine said coldly. "You still need to get Penelope on your side. Get to the heart of her feelings about the court, and she may be willing to come back with you."

"Right," I said. "So tonight, all I have to do is...learn how to play polo, get Penelope to open up to me, and figure out a way to convince her to come back to court."

"I'm sure you're up to the task," Liam said.

Madeleine nodded tersely and said her goodbyes, joining Maxwell in one of the limos that was about to head to Penelope's estate.

"Although," Liam said, continuing his thought from a moment earlier, "If you'd like, I'd love to give you a crash course in polo tonight. I'd been looking for an excuse to spend a little extra time alone with you."

I smiled up at him. "And here I thought we were past the point of needing excuses to be alone together."

"Soon," he promised. "But, until we're married, at least some level of propriety must be maintained."

I rolled my eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. Polo lessons it is, then."

Liam laughed and gave me one last hug. "After we reach the estate, we'll get changed and meet out front, then head to the polo grounds."

And so, that's just what we did, with one detour first. As I was walking into the foyer of Penelope's estate, Mara stopped me for a status report. She and Bastien had been investigating the latest video. "Based on their choice of rhetoric," she told me, "Bastien thought it might've been made by the Liberation Core."

"The anti-monarchist group, right?"

"Correct, Your Grace. But, when we analyzed the video, we found something interesting. We've seen its location before. Last year, the Sons of Earth filmed a video in what appears to be the same building. There's a task force on its way to the location right now."

"I'm guessing they aren't stupid enough to stick around after filming."

"No, but we're hoping they may have left a few shreds of evidence behind."

I nodded and thanked her for the update. "Let me know what you find. And tell Bastien and everyone else to be safe."

By the time Liam and I finally made it to the polo grounds, it was well past dark. The flood lights bathed the field in a stark white glow. Liam led me onto the field and handed me a long, T-shaped stick.

"Um," I said, taking the stick, "Aren't we missing something? Like a horse?"

Liam laughed. "Don't worry, we'll get there. But first, you need to know the basics."

He showed me how to hold the mallet, and explained the rules of the game.

"Are you gonna do that thing where you get behind me and hold me close and pretend that it's necessary to teach me how to swing?" I asked with a teasing smile.

"If you'd like," he said, smiling right back.

I shook my head. "Better stay focused."

Liam walked me through a few plays, and then found a pair of horses for us, and we tried the plays on horseback. After more than a few false starts, I was finally able to hit the ball with perfect accuracy. Or, well, good-enough accuracy. We dismounted and Liam led the horses back to their stables, then rejoined me on the field. I was staring at the lines, trying to make sure I remembered everything he had taught me.

"It's getting late," he said quietly, as if afraid of startling me.

"I guess we should head back, get some rest for the big game," I said.

Before either of us could make another move, though, there was a mechanical swoosh and the field sprinklers turned on, spraying water all over us.

"Oh!" Liam cried, and he hurried to get his jacket on and hold it over my head. I laughed and pushed him away, showing him how to enjoy the surprise shower. I held my arms out wide and tilted my head back, laughing and spinning as I got soaked. Soon, Liam was laughing with me. He picked me up and spun me in a circle, kissing me quickly on the lips before setting me back down. Once on solid ground, I stood on my tiptoes and pulled him in for another, deeper kiss. We lingered, holding each other and kissing and whispering sweet nothings, until the sprinklers finally stopped, and we reluctantly headed back to the estate.