Marlene awoke having slept better than she had since her attack, but it was followed by a feeling of emptiness. He'd only stayed till she fell asleep. Of course he had, that was exactly what he said he would do. But Marlene could not shake her disappointment at waking up without him.

With the emptiness came the realization that she could not stop this. Every logical part of her screamed to stop, to find some way to halt her affections, but her heart told her it was of no use. He'd captured her heart at the banquet and had sealed it his when he cared for her after her attack. Everything hence had simply enraptured her more to his charm.

But thinking on last night, falling back asleep with his arms wrapped tightly around her, his steady breathing calming her frantic heart, Marlene knew she was done for. It did not matter now who James wanted to pick when it came time for her to wed, her heart would forever be lost to Sirius.

Perhaps now that she wasn't fighting it, she'd be able to function more naturally. The greatest portion of her recent distractions had been due to trying to avoid her feelings. But having accepted that she had handed over not just her affections, but her love and her heart to the gentle Knight, her mind felt clearer than it had since the banquet.

Her mind was clear, but a part of her heart cried out at their reality. She'd suddenly found herself within one of the awful tragic romance stories her mother's Ladies in waiting often swooned over. High born women falling in love with lower standing men and loving from afar. Marrying and moving forward, but exchanging formal greetings and broken hearted glances with the one who could not be theirs. Marlene pushed her tears back down.

She shook her head trying to clear away the melancholy. Her mind wandered to the feeling of his arms wrapped securely around her, how well she fit in his embrace, the feeling of his lips against her skin. And for a moment she indulged in the memories she had of Sirius playing the part with her.

When she emerged from her inner chamber, Sirius stood and the look in his eyes seemed to tell her everything. He looked at her like she was the world, and Marlene knew she had found herself exactly in the midst of a tragic romance. She would spend her life haunted by the adoration in his gaze, knowing she could never have more than his gaze.

"Your Grace," Sirius greeted her and the two words had never been both so unwanted and sweet upon her ears as coming from his lips, because it was the whole reason this love would never be more, but it was his voice calling to her and that would forever make her heart soar. It was reality and Marlene hated it.

"Sir," she nodded and smiled. Even when everything told her this was their tragic destiny, he still managed to pull a smile from her. "Shall we?"

He nodded and she took his arm. Silently they walked to the great hall.

Sir Sirius left her in the company of Lady McGonagall for the day again while he and James worked with the army, and Marlene was surprised to find that she had been right in her assessment. Having admitted that she had handed her heart over to Sirius, her mind seemed to clear and she was able to get far more done than she had the day before.

"Lady McGonagall," Marlene looked down at her notes. "I keep hearing mentions of Tom Riddle, but I don't quite grasp what role he plays in anything? Can you help me to understand?"

Lady McGonagall eyed her shrewdly before nodding. "Up until recently, the council felt hesitant to include you in the discussion of a few particularly sensitive matters of state. There are things that some of the council would prefer to shield you from, I'm sure. In any case, if you ask me, Your Grace has proven bright enough that it's only a matter of time before you figure it out for yourself." Lady McGonagall took a moment to collect her thoughts.

"Thank you, Your Grace." Marlene nodded. The veiled language that the Chief Minister was using made it unclear if the King himself was was the one who preferred to keep Marlene sheltered, though that would make the most sense. Could it have been Sir Sirius? She shook off the suspicion and reminded herself that these matters were a great deal more important than the tragic romance whose pages she had brought to life as of late. She needed to focus, as Lady McGonagall continued.

"You are aware that the Lord Dumbledore takes the most promising young minds on as squires in his service I trust? Our own dear King learned much in his service to the Lord. So did, many years ago, a young man of insignificant birth but great ambition, named Tom Riddle."

"It is significant that Riddle served Dumbledore during a time when the Lord had great favour for a foreign born knight, Sir Gellert Grindelwald."

Marlene knew the name. She'd spent many a lesson with her tutors talking about the Knight Grindelwald, and about how he had plotted to destroy the Royal family before his plan was discovered and he was tried for conspiring against the crown.

"It is my understanding that young Riddle learned a great many lessons from Grindelwald. He took these lessons, and improved upon the knight's methods of wielding power by holding the ear, and oft times the heart, of key members of the nobility. Tom Riddle charmed his way into the court of Sempurapuria when it was still a Duchy ruled by a noble couple with two promising heirs. Within three winters the Duke was buried under suspicious circumstances, the eldest son and heir," she paused, "was lost to them as well… but with Tom Riddle at her side, Walburga wore a crown and called herself a queen." Marlene could hear the disgust in Lady McGonagall's voice. She nodded to indicate that she understood the implications, and the King's Chief Minister took a deep breath before going on.

"Well being as ambitious as he is, we all had doubts that he'd be satisfied with only the strength of Semprapuria under his thumb. These past months it's become evident that Riddle has designs on the kingdom of Phoenixordo as a whole. He has agents stirring descent in neighboring duchies, and that's not the worst of it."

"We believe, given the intelligence we received combined with the information we were able to get from your attacker before the execution was carried out, that he was acting on orders from Riddle."

"What would Riddle want with me?"

"Your Grace is a Lady in a position of power, and a single lady to boot. You are everything Tom Riddle seeks out in nobility, to use for his own ends. We believe it was his intention to marry you to Regulus Black, Walburga's...chosen heir. We gather that Riddle, or perhaps Walburga herself, considers Regulus easy to control. With only King James himself standing between you and the throne… you see where that line of thought goes, do you not?"

Marlene's eyes grew cold. "I am no one's puppet."

"Yes that much is quite clear to us all, Your Grace. In fact I believe it will be clear to Riddle as well, when he gets word that you took a blade to his man. You… are a lot like another young person… who refused to be Riddle's puppet."

"Who's that, your Grace?" There was something in Lady McGonagall's eyes as Marlene asked the question that made her look uncertain.

Before Lady McGonagall could answer, the sound of the heavy old door swinging on its hinges interrupted. His Majesty and Sirius made their way back in.

"That's a very long story, for another day entirely." Lady McGonagall's eyes seemed to follow Sir Sirius. Was there something of a chastisement in the look she gave the knight? Marlene couldn't quite tell, and if she was being honest with herself she didn't have the faculties to concentrate upon it at the moment. She didn't think she would ever grow accustomed to the way her heart both soared and bled at the way his eyes locked on hers and he smiled as if she were his sun.

"Would Your Grace like to dine in the hall this evening?" James asked, pulling Marlene's attention from Sirius.

"I would be most pleased to, Your Majesty." Marlene smiled at him.

"Wonderful!" James smiled at her. "I am glad to see you feeling better Cousin. I was worried your attack would have affected you for the worse. It's good to see you more yourself today."

Marlene was sure that James would not be pleased with the reason she seemed more herself, but that was something for her heart and no one else's.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Let us depart, friends," James seemed to take a great deal of relief in Marlene being more herself. Yes, running from this love was the exact way to get caught. She'd made the right decision this morning.

And then Sirius was at her side, helping her from her chair and letting her take his arm. She smiled up at him as they followed his Majesty from the room. His eyes were haunted as he smiled back at her. The same haunted look he'd held when she had first approached him all those months ago. Something about what the Lady McGonagall had said had brought that haunted look to him. It occurred to Marlene that she was still unsure of Sirius's part in all of this.