EVELINA
The afternoon sun slanted through the tall windows of Crown Princess' Garden, painting pale ribbons of light across the floor. The air smelled faintly of tea and roses, soft enough to disguise the tension that clung to every word spoken among the ladies gathered around the table.
Evelina sat near the far end beside Lady Ashcombe, her posture perfect, her smile practiced. Every movement felt rehearsed, every breath measured. She had been through so many whispered conversations these past weeks that she could almost predict their rhythm, the way laughter lowered into secrets, the way curiosity sharpened into cruelty.
Lady Maren was recounting some story about a scandal in the western provinces when the parlor door opened. The sound was delicate, but it silenced the room at once.
Lady Selina entered, dressed in soft rose silk and pearls that gleamed at her throat. She curtsied gracefully to the Crown Princess, then smiled with just enough warmth to be polite.
"Forgive my interruption," Selina said lightly. "I did not realize you had company. What a delightful gathering."
The Crown Princess rose, her voice calm. "You are always welcome, Lady Selina."
"How kind," Selina replied. Her eyes drifted across the room until they settled on Evelina. The smile that followed was small and deliberate. "Ah, Lady Evelina. How good to see you out again. I was beginning to worry you had gone into hiding."
Evelina returned the smile. "There was no need for concern, my lady."
Selina took a seat at the table without waiting to be invited. "I should hope not. These past weeks have been so full of talk. One hardly knows what to believe anymore."
The words hung in the air like perfume, sweet but suffocating.
The Crown Princess gestured for the servants to pour tea, but Selina's voice continued, soft and precise. "They say the council has been the most animated since Lord Ravenscroft's display before the King. Such passion. Such devotion. I suppose every lady dreams of inspiring that sort of loyalty."
Evelina kept her eyes on her teacup. "Lord Ravenscroft spoke the truth. That is more than most men manage."
"Indeed," Selina said. "Truth is a rare luxury in court. But then, so is discretion."
A few of the ladies shifted in their chairs. The silence stretched, heavy with anticipation.
Selina leaned forward slightly. "I imagine it must be strange for you, my dear, to have your name on everyone's lips. There was a time when it was mine, after all. You do know the court once believed Lord Ravenscroft and I would marry."
Evelina met her gaze. "Belief does not make truth, Lady Selina."
"Perhaps not," Selina replied, smiling again. "But it does shape the world we live in. The Queen favors me, after all. The Crown Princess trusts me. And you, well, you are rather alone here, are you not?"
Lady Ashcombe set her cup down firmly. "That is enough, my lady."
But Selina continued, her voice as sweet as ever. "I mean no offense. I only worry for her. The court devours those who think love will protect them. Men promise much when the world watches, but power always calls them back. It is in their nature."
Evelina rose slowly. "I thank you for your concern. But I assure you, I need none of it."
Selina tilted her head. "How brave. Though I fear bravery will not quiet the whispers that he will tire of you once his sister demands his obedience."
Evelina felt heat rise in her chest, but before she could speak, the door opened once more.
Lucian Ravenscroft stood there, framed by the afternoon light.
Every conversation in the room stopped. Even Selina's practiced composure faltered.
Lucian's expression was calm, but there was no mistaking the controlled anger beneath it. "Forgive the intrusion,Your Highness, The Crown Princess. I seem to have entered at the right moment."
Selina rose to greet him, recovering her poise. "Lord Ravenscroft. How unexpected. We were only speaking of you."
"So I gathered," Lucian said. "I thought it best that I speak for myself."
The air in the room tightened. No one dared move.
Lucian turned to the women present. "You have all heard the rumors. You have all repeated them, perhaps not meaning harm, but harm was done all the same. The story of my engagement to Lady Selina Marlowe is false. It was designed by those who saw advantage in deceit. I have never courted her, nor has any arrangement been made."
Selina's smile hardened. "My lord, you cannot mean to shame me in front of these ladies."
"I do not shame you," he said evenly. "You did that when you used a falsehood to injure another. Lady Evelina's name has suffered enough because of ambition that is not hers."
A hush followed. Selina's face flushed crimson. "You will regret this," she said softly. "No man defies the Queen's circle without consequence."
Lucian's gaze did not waver. "Then I will bear that consequence. But I will not allow another lie to stand."
He turned to Evelina. His voice was gentle. "If anyone here doubts my reason, they may hear it now. I love her. I have loved her in silence, in defiance, and now in truth. Let the court make of it what it will."
The words fell like stones into still water, sending ripples through the room.
Evelina felt her throat tighten. Her heart seemed too full for her chest. Around them, no one spoke. Selina took a half step back, fury and humiliation warring in her expression.
Lucian turned to the Crown Princess. "I ask your pardon for disturbing your gathering."
The Crown Princess inclined her head. "You have spoken what many feared to say, my brother. The truth is never an unwelcome guest in my house."
Lucian extended his arm toward Evelina. "May I escort you, my lady?"
Evelina hesitated only a moment before placing her hand on his arm. The warmth of his touch steadied her trembling. Together they left the parlor, the sound of whispers following them down the corridor like the fading echo of a storm.
Once beyond the doors, Evelina drew a breath she had not realized she had been holding. "You should not have come," she said quietly. "You have made yourself their target."
"I already was," Lucian replied. "Now they can at least see my face when they aim."
Despite the weight of his words, she smiled. "They will twist everything."
"Then let them," he said. "The truth is no less true for being hated."
They stepped into the long gallery overlooking the inner courtyard. Light spilled across the marble floor, and for a moment it seemed as though the palace itself had grown still. Evelina turned to him. "You should not have said you love me before them."
"I would say it again," Lucian answered. "Even if the whole court stood listening."
Before she could reply, a voice behind them spoke.
"You already have an audience, it seems."
They both turned.
Grand Duke Montclair stood at the end of the corridor. His dark coat was immaculate, his posture controlled, but the faint smile on his lips did not reach his eyes.
Lucian straightened. "Your Grace."
Alistair approached slowly. The faint sound of his boots against the marble echoed through the hall. "A bold display, Ravenscroft. The court will be speaking of little else by sundown. How fortunate for you that attention so easily disguises recklessness."
Lucian's tone was calm. "I am not concerned with fortune. Only with truth."
"Truth," Alistair repeated, almost to himself. "A noble word, though it rarely keeps its shine for long." He turned his gaze to Evelina. "And you, my lady. I confess, I am surprised. I had thought you wiser than to involve yourself in another man's crusade."
Evelina met his eyes, though her pulse quickened. "I have involved myself only in honesty, Your Grace."
"Honesty," he said softly. "A dangerous habit in court. You should take care. Reputation is far easier to lose than to recover. You would not want your family's name dragged further into scandal. The council can be… unforgiving."
Lucian stepped forward, his voice firm. "Is that a threat?"
Alistair smiled faintly. "A warning, perhaps. The same one I gave you once. Some battles are not worth the ruin they bring."
Evelina's voice trembled, though she did not look away. "And some silences are not worth keeping."
For a moment the three of them stood there, the air between them tight as a drawn bowstring. Then Alistair's smile faded.
"You think you have won because you have the King's ear for a moment. But the court's memory is long. The Everleigh name will bear this stain, whether you intend it or not. Choose carefully whom you stand beside, Lady Evelina. The world is not kind to women who believe in love more than power."
Lucian took her hand, his grip steady. "She has already chosen."
Alistair looked at their joined hands, his expression unreadable. "So she has."
He bowed slightly, the gesture precise and cold. "Then I wish you both good fortune. You will need it."
With that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps fading into the long corridor.
Evelina stood still for a long time after he was gone. Her heart was pounding, not from fear but from the weight of what had just passed.
Lucian turned to her, his voice quiet. "He will strike again."
"I know," she said. "But so will we."
He smiled then, tired but resolute. "Then let us be ready."
Outside, the bells of the palace began to toll the hour. The echo rolled through the marble halls, sounding almost like a promise.
Evelina looked toward the window, where the light had begun to fade into gold. "Let them talk," she whispered. "Let them twist it. They cannot unmake what is true."
Lucian took her hand again. "No, they cannot."
Together they walked toward the end of the corridor, side by side, the noise of the court far behind them and the shadow of Montclair's warning still lingering in the air.
Whatever came next, the silence between them was no longer one of fear. It was one of resolve.