By the time they reached the room that Maria and Katarina would be staying at, the Third Prince seemed to have recovered from whatever setback to his plots having to change Katarina's room had been. Maria suspected secret passages that allowed stealthy entry into the room at night, or perhaps an accessible balcony.

She walked a little ahead of the group, following the butler leading them through the castle, to give them a semblance of privacy. To her ears, it sounded just like it had been at the Academy, with all of them following Katarina Claes around in a crowd, the girl innocently the center of attention as they all childishly tried to get her to look at them. The addition of Katarina's cousins didn't really make much difference, though Maria noticed that they seemed as intent as Lady Mary at keeping the Third Prince away from her squire. That was normal for Dame Matthew, but Maria supposed the knight had spoken to her cousins as well.

The fact that two princes, a duke-to-be, and a prince's fiancé were still doing it after they'd left the Academy made her worry for the country, it truly did… but she supposed the country could not come to any further harm to let them indulge for the length of a walk.

The room she was taken to was nothing like the private room of Prince Ian that she had seen before, or the room they had stayed in after the graduation party. It was far smaller and not as luxurious, which was to be expected since it was a guest room not intended for distinguished guests. But the bed was sizable and would fit herself, Shana and her squire, there was a private bath, and even a small, attached room for the maids. Maria had to wonder if the Third Prince had spies in her house to let him know how many servants she was bringing, or if all such rooms were simply of that size. She suspected the former was more likely.

Naturally, her squire ran to the bed and threw herself upon it face first, stretching out upon its length. "Ah!" she sighed loudly. "So soft and comfy!"

She could feel the glare directed towards her by Lady Mary, who had probably just realized what there being only single a bed meant. "My squire, comport yourself," Maria said sternly. "Don't make me change my mind about letting you have today as a free day."

"Ah! Yes, Dame Campbell!" Katarina said, hastily rolling off the bed. She straightened herself up quickly, trying to look innocent. Well, innocent for Katarina Claes, which meant she had a big smile on her face.

"Why is there only one bed?" Sophia said, joining Lady Mary in glaring at the accommodations.

"Because it appears to be a small bedroom?" Maria said.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Alan said. "We weren't expecting you and Katarina to need to have to room together. There's no other unoccupied rooms in this hallway or in any of the nearby attached ones. We could maybe find a new room for her, but it would be pretty far."

"That won't be necessary, Prince Alan. These accommodations will be suitable"

Prince Alan nodded. "Well, we'll see you later," he said turning away and dragging his brother along with him. "Come on you two, we have more work to do."

"I can walk by myself, Alan I don't need an escort."

Alan didn't let go though. "Yeah, well, I want to make sure you actually come back to work. Nicol, cut off his retreat."

Lord Ascart smoothly moved to flank the Third Prince as the two kept him from lingering, taking him back to his duties.

"Have fun running the castle!" Sophia called after the two princes and her brother with just a touch of malicious glee.

"S-so Lady Maria is going to be sleeping in the same bed as Lady Katarina!-!-!" Lady Mary said out loud.

"Do you think me the sort of person who would have my squire sleep on the floor, Lady Mary?"

"I don't think that will be necessary," Lady Katarina's cousin Lady Adella said. "The bed is wide enough to fit Cousin Katarina and Lady Campbell, surely?"

"It's the principle of the thing!" Lady Mary said. "Should Lady Katarina have her own bed?"

"Ah, squireship," Dame Matthew said with exaggerated longing. "I don't miss it at all. You sure you're not going to have her just sleep on the ground in her armor with her shield as a pillow, Dame Maria?"

"Don't be silly, Dame Matthew. You know my squire hates having to use a shield."

"Ah, you're right, my mistake."

Katarina blinked. "Wait, I'm going to have to do that?"

"Not at this time, no. You need to be presentable for the international Assembly, and that conditioning will give you a sore back."

"Ah, does that mean we can do it when we get back home? I want try sleeping in the fields!"

"…" Maria said. "If you're good and comport yourself properly during the assembly, I will consider it."

"Yay!"

"Huh," Dame Matthew said. "I'll admit that wasn't my reaction to being told I needed to experience sleeping in the field in my armor."

Keith sighed. "Well, now that you're here, we can show you were the lectures will be held tomorrow," he said.

"That would be appreciated, Lord Keith," Maria said, already dreading the path she would have to remember.

Thankfully, the lecture hall was centrally located. They only needed to go down the hall, cross a courtyard, go up some stairs, climb down a ladder…

Maria memorized the mercifully short path to the lecture hall, which seemed to be a converted ball room. There was a stage at one end, with a large map of Sorcier and the surrounding countries. Maria recognized some from geography and history lessons. There was La Sable to the north of Sorcier, which she had seen in passing from the border city of Noir. To the north west was Etran, an important trading partner. It had been Sulphur from Etran that she had bought from Noir all those years ago. To the East was Xiarmah, separated from Sorcier by a tall and extensive mountain range, which limited most of their contact and had led to fairly cordial relations over the centuries, since if either side felt threatened they could just the gates of their respective fortresses along the few valleys, rifts and underground caves that crossed the range.

Others she only knew the names of. Ethenell, further east and over the sea. Tasmeria, recovered from the depredations and civil war caused by Yuri the Vile. Drang, with its famous lake and mercenaries, with its many ancient ruins, all of them claiming to have once been the sight of one ancient tale or another from the time of myths. Hallig, Sorcier's close ally, famous for its centers of learning. New Catarina, where it was actually still legal to partake in Siegbrau.

There were other countries of course, further north and south, east and west, but they would not be actively sending representatives to the International Assembly, as they had not deigned to join in the non-aggression pact between the members of the assembly for one reason or another. For some, it was because they were actively hostile to one member of the pact or another. Towair, for example, while on relatively good terms with its other neighbors, had historical enmities with Tasmeria, and would not agree to a pact that would prevent them the option of armed conflict with their hated neighbor. Varangia had no interest, and the nations of Ron, Stella and Numen were too far underground for conventional geopolitics. They had dealings instead with The King Below, the Locust People, and Those Who Live In Undeath.

…

She was going to have to make sure her squire remembered all that, wasn't she?

"Lady Katarina? Are you all right?"

Maria blinked, turning towards her squire, who was swaying weakly. "Squire? Do you need healing?"

Katarina raised a hand weakly. "I'm fine. It's just… the classroom mood is so strong in here I suddenly felt sleepy."

"Well, it's a lecture series sister, what do you expect? You're actually going to have to listen to what the lecturer is saying because there are no textbooks to rely on."

"Ah… I guess I'll have to rely on all your notes then."

"Only if you actually read, study and remember it, my squire," Maria said. "This isn't the academy, where it will end in a test, after which you will forget. You will need this knowledge to interact with foreigners—important foreigners!— without insulting them and potentially starting a war that would undermine the very purpose of the International Assembly to begin with."

Katarina winced. "Mashu, are you sure mother hasn't found a fake Katarina Claes to send to this?"

"Sorry, cousin," the knight said, and she actually did sound sorry. "But even with the help of mother, Aunt Sherry and Aunt Henriette, they said they haven't found anyone sufficiently fake-Katarina-like."

Maria's squire sighed mournfully.

"Don't worry, Lady Katarina!" Lady Mary said. "We'll all work together to help you!"

"As long as we work together, we will be fine!" Sophia declared.

Katarina sniffed, looking touched. "Thanks you two! Let's do this together!"

"Abysmal grades," Maria pointed out.

"Quiet, you!" Sophia declared. "The power of the dark soul of humanity is in never giving up! As long as we don't give up, Lady Katarina might actually learn something!"

"My cute little student has shown it's possible, so we should have hope!" Lady Mary declared.

"I don't really understand… but Cousin Katarina, if you need help with studying, we'd be happy to help," Lady Iosefka said.

"That's right, cousin," Lady Adella said. "We'll all be learning the same thing, and it will all be new for us, so it will only be natural if we don't understand and need help."

While it was all inspiring and a good show of jolly cooperation… Maria glanced towards Keith, who had a resigned look on his face.

Ah. What terrible suffering had she allowed herself to agree to?

After the lecture hall, Maria asked a servant to direct them towards the castle's knight barracks and training field. She was still training her squire, after all, and her squire would need to drill. When they got there, however, any hopes that Maria might be allowed to use some space in their training field were dashed as she saw how occupied it was. Members of the royal guard were sparring, drilling, practicing, and coming on- and off-shift.

"Oh… how unfortunate," Lady Mary said, looking smug and satisfied.

"Yes, it looks like Lady Katarina won't have any space to practice," Sophia said brightly.

Neither seemed to notice that Katarina wasn't at all cheered by that notion. In fact, her squire was looking at the fully occupied training ground forlornly, like a child who wanted to play but hadn't been invited.

"Hmm… well, I shall find an appropriate location later," Maria said. "It was a bit too much to hope for. But do not think this means you will not be practicing, my squire. I expect you to do your drills even if you have to clear all the furniture in our room and do so on the carpet."

"Yes, Dame Campbell!" her squire (!-!-!-!-!) said brightly.

"Otherwise, you are to study with your cousins regarding the day's lecture. Lady Maria and Lady Sophia may join you if they so wish."

"Oh, how generous of you, Lady Maria," Lady Mary said. She seemed smug for some reason. Did she think she had won something? Possibly. Maria would have to remind her that she was neutral in the matter that was Katarina Claes.

It was late afternoon by then, and they all agreed to return to their rooms to get changed for dinner, which was being served in another of the castle's rooms, according to Lord Keith. Maria wondered if she would find Rafael there. She hoped so…

Fortunately, the room had a folding screen they could use to give each other some semblance of privacy as they got dressed. Anne assisted Katarina, while Sadako and Lasciel provided their own assistance by handing her the pieces of her suit when she indicated.

"Make sure to have dinner while we are gone," she told maids.

"Yes, my lady," Lasciel said. "Miss Shelley has been teaching us how to speak to the castle staff, and the two of use will be going down to the kitchen to bring back dinner for ourselves and little Shana."

Maria nodded. "Good," she said. "Miss Shelley, is Lady Katarina ready."

"Almost, Lady Campbell," Anne said from over the wall, because Katarina was listening, and the two of them had agreed that, their private situation aside, it would not do to show the girl bad habits. "There."

The screen was folded and pushed aside to reveal Katarina wearing a simple dress. Well, simple for the duke's daughter. She looked as she had back when they had attended the academy together, save for the sheathed practice sword hanging from a leather belt at her waist. The weapon was peacebonded with a blue ribbon since she was still a squire. Her squire had a strange frown on her face as she walked back and forth, swinging her arms and rotating her shoulders.

"This feels so weird," Katarina said as she twisted her upper body back and forth, making her skirt flare out slightly. "It's all so light! I feel like I'm in my underwear!"

Maria nodded as Sadako presented her meager box of jewelry. "That just means you have become used to the weight of your armor, my squire. You shall have to be careful with your arm movements until you are used to dresses again, as there isn't as much weight on your arms anymore," she said as she took one of the broaches in the box, a large green cabochon, and pinned it to her cravat.

Her Squire recognized the gem. "Hey, I remember giving you that! Back when you were knighted! Ah, watermelon…"

Maria touched the broach fondly. "Well, let us away to dinner, my squire," she said. "Then you may invite Lady Sophia and Lady Mary and all the others back here until it is time to sleep."

"Yay!" Katarina cheered, pushing her fist upwards. "Ah, it'll be just like at the Academy!"

"Hopefully not," Maria said. "I want you to actually learn something."

They met the Third Prince near an intersection between two hallways.

"Oh, my dear Katarina!" the Third Prince said with a wide smile. "Perfect timing! Shall we go have dinner together?"

"Good evening, your highness," Maria greeted.

"Good morning, Lady Maria. It's so nice to see you again. I was unable to ask earlier, but how are the children? Doing well, I hope? How is your mother?"

"The children are doing well. Ever since I set patrols, no more school children have been accosted for their access badges. Thank you for your part in seeing justice done there. Mother is fine, thank you for asking."

"Wonderful. Ah, I happened to see Rafael heading for the dining hall for all the guests. If you hurry, you should be able to meet with him."

Maria twitched. "Oh? I thought the members of the Ministry had their own facilities in the castle."

"They did, but while we were organizing this, it was decided there was no reason to segregate the members of the Ministry from the other guests at meal times."

"How fortuitous," Maria said. She wasn't sure if she should be angry that he would blatantly use Rafael so to try and separate her from her squire or grateful for his efforts, manipulative as they were.

She would be both, she decided.

"Shall we walk together then?" she said. "It has been so long since we have had time to converse. I'm sure we have a lot to catch up on."

"Ah… Lady Maria, could you go ahead?" her squire said hesitantly. "There's something I want to talk to ジ— I mean, his highness the Third Prince about. It's kinda private. Please?"

Maria stared at her squire. For that matter, the Third Prince stared at her squire.

Eventually, Maria said, "I can't, my squire. I literally can't. You're the one who knows the way, remember?" Trust her squire to know exactly where the room where food was being served was. "However, if you require privacy, I shall be down the hall where I cannot overhear."

"Oh, okay, that works too!" her squire said cheerfully.

Maria nodded, glanced at the Third Prince, and walked calmly to the end of the hall just far enough to seem like she couldn't hear them, but still able to if she focused on her hearing. She leaned against the wall next to a statue of the renowned Zullie the Witch with her Moonlight Greatsword, famous for having uncovered many of the secret of the world in her tireless studies.

"My Katarina—!"

"Wait, let me start. Please?"

"O-of course, my love. Anything you ask."

Out of the corner of her eye, Maria saw her squire swallow… and then fall to her knees and bow down in front of the prince. "I'm sorry!" The words were so loud Maria would have heard them even if she had actually been out of hearing range.

"K-Katarina!" For that matter, she'd have heard the prince's exclamation of surprise as well.

"I'm sorry," Katarina repeated, still kneeling and bowed, though quieter now. "When you came and confessed to me… I wasn't expecting it! I didn't give your words the respect they deserved! So for that, I'm very, very sorry!"

"K-Katarina, it's all right! Please, raise your head. You don't need to kneel to me!"

"I'm doing this because I'm serious! From the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry. I didn't respond appropriately to your confession."

A chill went through Maria. Confession?

"You probably put all your courage and your true feelings into that confession, and I just… I reacted inappropriately. What I did was terrible and rude and terribly rube. For that, I'm sorry. You deserved better. I can't change what happen, but I want you to know I'm so sorry, and that I shouldn't have acted like that." Maria saw her squire's head bend even lower, almost touching the floor.

For a moment, the Third Prince looked like he wanted to just make her stop, to get her to stand on her feet and cease the mortifying display. Maria glanced about, but thankfully there was no one else in the hall. That wouldn't last…

"I accept your apology, Lady Katarina," the Third Prince said.

Katarina finally looked up. "Really?"

"Then you're not mad at me? We're still friends? You don't hate me?"

"I could never be mad or hate you, my dear Katarina." He held out his hand to her.

Katarina sighed and accepted the hand pulling her to her feet. A distant part of Maria noted that she'd somehow managed to not stain the outside of her dress. "Ah. I'm so glad. When I rejected your confession like that, I thought you'd be mad and never forgive me. I was afraid you thought I was making fun of you."

"Well, it's all behind us now," he said, one hand rising towards Katarina's face…

Katarina caught that hand and clasped it between hers. "Ah, that's great! When I rejected your confession, I was afraid I'd lost you as a friend, but if you're okay with being rejected… I'm so relieved! "

Wait…

What was happening?

"Of course, I don't mind still being your fiancée," Katarina continued with a wide, happy smile. "Don't worry, no bad women are going to bother you with marriage proposals as long as I'm around! But I've decided to do more than that. After all, I can't be your fiancée forever or people will get suspicious, and you also deserve a chance to be free and find true love."

"…"

Ah. The prince had been rendered as speechless as Maria had been.

"So I've decided! I'm going to help you find your true love! Just tell me what kind of woman you want, and I'll search the land to find you one that's nice and your type. I, Katarina Claes, will be your matchmaker and help you find the perfect woman for you so you can live happily ever after. Ah, but not anyone who's married, all right? Cuckolding is a trash fetish."

…where had her squire learned those words…?-!-?-!-?-!-?-!

"Ah, I'm so glad to finally get that off my chest!" Impulsively, she reached out and gave the unresponsive prince a hug. "I'm so glad we're still friends. Now come on, let's go have dinner with everyone!" Humming happily, Katarina began to walk in Mari's general direction, crossing the intersection of hallways.

Slowly, the prince turned to stare after Katarina, and Maria schooled her face to ignorance, as he was facing her. He took one step.

"Ah, Katarina, there you are!"

The familiar voice made the Third Prince, Katarina and Maria pause, even if Maria still hadn't moved. Katarina turned to look down the hallways she was passing. "Oh, mother! You're here!"

"Of course, dear," and there was Duchess Millidiana Claes as she, her husband at her side, stepped into the intersection. She was accompanied by her brother Duke Adeth and his wives. "Our townhouse is undergoing renovations, so we accepted the crown's kind invitation to stay at the castle for the lecture series and International Assembly. How wonderful to find you. We were just about to head down to dinner. Why don't you join us?"

"Ah, I was planning to eat with Lady Maria and my friends…"

"Well, invite them too! I'm sure it will be fine. Oh. Greetings, your highness. I didn't see you there." It was amazing how a tone could change between two sentences without the voice actually changing at all.

"Greetings, your grace. This is… unexpected."

"Of course it is. Oh, Lady Maria!" Oh good, the tone turned warm. "What are you doing over there?"

Maria made a show of just barely hearing her name, and beginning to walk back towards the intersection. "Greetings, your grace. My squire and I were just on our way to dinner, and his highness was escorting us for the company."

"Is that so? Well, come join us. We are heading there ourselves."

Maria found herself pulled into the wake of the Duchess Claes as she took the lead, she and her daughter speaking animatedly about… how they might have to give up on finding a fake Katarina? She walked numbly, and found herself in step with the Third Prince as the tail of the party.

He didn't look at her.

She didn't look at him.

They continued like that until the dining hall.