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“Throwing her to wolves would be kinder, Mother.”
“I will ignore you because I cannot bear to explain once again why it must be so.”
I exhaled. “I understand, I do. It is to get as many people to see her live and in-person instead of just reading about her in articles, such as these in the press. But even so, you must see how brutal this will be. She has only just gotten a grasp of part of all the protocols. Her understanding of Ersovian is decent at best. Never in this family history have we used the garden party for an official engagement first outing. That is usually saved for after the wedding for a reason. It is like war.”
“Are you done preaching to me about all the things I already know?” she questioned, and I felt slightly better. “Yes, it will be brutal, but the brutality is the only way we can combat the press. They keep creating stories because we are not saying anything.”
“Oh, there is plenty I wish to say.”
“Galahad.”
“I understand, Mother, and I am listening and following all your directions, even as it pains me to do so. Even though I can barely see the woman I love, as you have locked her in with tutors from morning till night.” I swallowed hard. Over the last few weeks, I had only seen Odette at breakfast and dinner. Partially because of her never-ending army of tutors and partially because of my own duties. I could feel our conversations getting shorter and shorter. This morning, she had all but rushed past me to not be late for her first tutor.
“All of it will be worth it in the end.”
“Will I still know what she looks and sounds like by then?” I muttered.
“I am starting to see that the less you see of her in a day, the more of a brat you become,” she replied.
“Then clearly, I need to see her more.”
“Or you can continue with the piles of work you must go through and allow her to prepare for what will be the greatest moment of her life to date. You, yourself, said the garden party was like war. Well, she is in training, so do not disturb her.”
I did not reply. Instead, I lifted and opened the black folder with our family seal on the cover, preparing to just sign it when I saw the nobles who would be attending the garden party. One caused me to check through the list of other guests until I saw the other name.
“Lady Giselle Bancroft and Sabina Franziska are attending,” I stated coldly, staring at the paper.
“Of course, Lady Giselle Bancroft, the wife of Lord of Belway. How could he not be in attendance? He is a member of the House of Lords. Sabina Franziska is the former Countess of Gormsey and the daughter of Sir Adam J. Franziska,” she replied with the same coldness.
When I looked back up at her, I knew there was almost nothing my mother did not know. Yet she pretended as if she did not know the reason I had asked. So, I sighed.
“I am going to check on your father,” she said, and as she rose, so did I. But before she could leave, I said one thing.
“Mother?”
“Yes.”
“Tonight, Odette and I will have dinner in my rooms privately.”
“Gale. No. Did you not just say you would listen and do as I ask? She cannot go to your rooms until she is your wife.”
She is my wife!
I inhaled again, trying to get my point across calmly. “Mother, there is no place she and I can have a private moment in this whole palace. With the garden party coming up, allow us time to—”
“Gale, every time you break the rules for her, you make it harder for her. It is romantic at the time, and then the next morning, it is a weapon used against her. You help her more by not allowing your feelings to rule. Allow her to stand and prove herself to the people who love you for upholding our traditions. Yes, it is hard, but we have all gone through it. Be. Patient. She is trying very hard. Silent support is what she needs.”
I said nothing, bowing my head as she left.
I lifted the paper again before tearing it in half, then again and again, before sitting back down.
Silent support?
How did you know if you were being supported then?
This felt—this felt wrong.
But every time I tried to help her, the press found out and used it as slander, so maybe Mother was right. We still had no clue who was leaking information outside, either. So maybe this was one of the duties of the Adelaar—doing nothing for the sake of tradition.
