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“Much,” she confirmed as we promenaded toward Yardon and Raven.

Over the week following our arrival at his estate, Lord Greyson and a host of tutors endeavored to cram a lifetime’s worth of royal education into my head. Lectures on politics, history, and law were broken up with sessions on etiquette, memorizing nobles’ names, and geography. Meals appeared at the same time each morning and noon. Then, each evening Greyson and I, with Raven as my shadow, joined the ladies in the north salon for a meal that they called tea which functioned more like a dinner than anything else. We didn’t even have to drink tea if we didn’t want to.

When I questioned the name, Yardon informed me that it was an excuse for keeping the meal informal. Yardon tossed his head and sniffed his disapproval. “I would not attend such a function even if I were invited, which I am not.”

“Why not attend if an invitation is issued?” I asked.

“I have it on good authority that Lord and Lady Greyson are dreadfully informal, even going so far as to include their children in the invitation lists. As if that isn’t bad enough, I am told they encourage the children to participate in the conversation like adults.”

Recalling the lively discussion the evening before on whether one should be required to wear shoes in the gardens or not, I found I strongly disagreed with Yardon. “How else are the children to learn how to behave in company?”

“Etiquette lessons, of course,” Yardon replied. He brought his handkerchief to his face as he studied me over it. I couldn’t tell if he was smiling or frowning behind it. “Do you wish for me to be out of a job?”

Shaking my head, I answered, “I have no experience with fae children, but I was very impressed by Heath’s defense of roaming gardens barefoot last night. Dare I say I am tempted to shed shoes and stockings next time I am outside and experience the delights of mud between my toes for myself?”

Raven let out a bark of laughter before stifling himself as he ducked behind a screen to check on something.

Yardon cast a judgmental glare after Raven. “Have mercy on me, my lord, and resist the temptation. Mud between one’s toes would be highly undignified. Besides, children are to be seen and not heard. Not until they have proven themselves reliable in their choices of topics.” Drawing himself up, Yardon said, “Now, sire, shall we review the steps of the opening dance?”

As I dutifully plodded through the motions of a dance more complicated than any country dance I had ever seen, I mused over all the reasons that I preferred “tea” with Greyson and his family to the gloomy, overly formal alternatives.

Three hours of drudgery later, Raven and I retired from Yardon’s company.

“Finally,” I muttered as the pair of us exited the grand room Yardon had insisted we use for our lessons. “Was Yardon more annoyed than normal today?”

Raven matched my pace without hesitation, drawing alongside me. “Your preference for tea and discussion with Greyson’s family appeared to rile him.”

“You didn’t help by snickering every time I brought it up.” I picked up my pace as we entered a familiar corridor.

“I suspect your repeated reintroduction of the topic did more to irritate him than my laughter. Were you trying to get a reaction out of him?”

I shrugged. “I hoped he would explain exactly why the whole concept annoyed him.”

“You didn’t believe him when he said it was the children?”

“I suspect it is more because he isn’t being included.” I threw the door to our apartments open in my haste to get to my chamber and change into more comfortable clothing.

Thankfully, Lady Lyra didn’t appear to care what her guests wore to her “tea” and Lord Greyson frequently appeared in riding clothes or even his shirtsleeves, his hands free of gloves, something I noted never occurred outside of their private family apartments.

Ruefully regarding my own gloved hands, I grimaced. I understood their necessity, but it annoyed me that I had to wear them. Yardon and none of the other fae I had encountered wore gloves. The fact I did wear them had become another point of contention between Yardon and myself. We argued about it frequently. However, the fact Lord Greyson still wore them—although he had clearly found his mate in Lady Lyra—helped my cause quite a bit, at least for now.

“I assume you wish to wear informal attire again tonight?” Raven asked as he strode through the empty sitting room into my chambers.

“I do.” I didn’t follow him. Instead, I closed the door to the corridor and leaned back against it. Rue’s chamber door stood open across the sitting room, offering a glimpse of the empty room beyond.

I missed her.

After months of working alongside each other daily, I hadn’t seen her beyond occasional glances across the table at the evening meal, which wasn’t enough.

Similarly, my mother had been absent more meals than present. The recovery from years of magical draining was proving taxing, but the healer predicted a full recovery according to Lord Greyson. With my own overloaded schedule, I had only managed to sneak away to see her twice.

My forearm prickled. Removing my gloves, I shoved my sleeve up to my elbow, uncovering unblemished skin. We hadn’t touched each other since Rue rode with me to Lord Greyson’s home the fateful day my birthright had been revealed. Still, my forearm responded every time I thought intently of her. No mate marks appeared on the sensitive skin, but I knew the truth in my heart, regardless. She was my fated mate.

But for all my conviction and confidence in that fact, I also knew that I couldn’t speak of it to her or anyone else. If my lessons had taught me anything, it was the indelible fact that we were about to enter a war. Me against the entire court. Until I figured out my allies and enemies and understood the field of battle, I remained vulnerable and anyone connected with me would be at risk.

Rue needed to remain in obscurity for her sake and mine. The moment the knowledge that we were fated mates became public, it would become a tool that could be used against both of us.

Still, I couldn’t leave her behind when I eventually left for the court and stood before the seat of the Unseelie government. Considering how I ached after only being unable to speak with her for a week, leaving her behind would be agony. But I was uncertain as to how I might bring her with me and still keep her safe.