Chapter 177: The Game Has Begun

Elara:

By the time I entered the royal sitting room, I had already prepared myself for almost anything. What I hadn’t prepared for was the sheer intensity of three women simply looking at me.

Mrs. Greymark, Mrs. Valemont, and Mrs. Ravenshade were seated together in the elegant sitting area, each dressed impeccably and each carrying the unmistakable air of women who had spent their entire lives being obeyed.

Their gazes immediately landed on me, moving from my face to my dress, jewelry, posture, and finally back to my eyes. They assessed me so thoroughly that for one ridiculous second I felt like a pig being examined at a market before someone decided whether I was worth purchasing. If they were hoping their noble air would intimidate me, however, they had come to the wrong woman.

I walked toward them with my shoulders relaxed and my back straight, offered a soft, respectful smile - not too warm, not too cold - and took the empty seat across from them.

"Ladies," I greeted politely.

Mrs. Ravenshade smiled first. There was something surprisingly warm about her expression, enough to make me pause for half a second. Mrs. Greymark simply studied me with open curiosity, while Mrs. Valemont’s gaze remained considerably harder.

I couldn’t help but feel there’s something supernaturally wrong when it came to my relations with anyone carrying Valemont name. And definitely whatever was wrong, it’s on their side because I definitely never planned to purposely dislike them.

"Princess Eleanora," Mrs. Greymark said, pulling my attention to her and I noticed her tone sounded curious rather than hostile. "How are you finding life at the Academy?"

"Busy," I answered. "But manageable."

Mrs. Ravenshade asked about my studies next and how I performed in the exams, and I gave her a brief answer. Mrs.

Greymark followed with a question about whether I had made friends. I mentioned Violet and Myra without going into unnecessary detail, not failing to notice the clear displeasure at the mention of a human.

The urge to defend my friend and humans in general was right there at the tip of my tongue, but I held it back when I noticed Jasper shaking his head from where he stood beside Mrs. Nettle at a distance behind the three ladies.

I wasn’t happy, but I knew better than to question Jasper’s judgement. So I just sat there smiling softly and playing... well... politics.

I would be an idiot to assume these three women didn’t already knew almost everything about me. My life in Florida, my life at Moonveil Academy, my academic performance, my relationships with the other students - none of this was exactly private information when four Regent Houses were involved.

The ladies questions felt less like genuine attempts to learn something and more like confirmation of information they already possessed.

I began wondering whether they had really traveled all the way to the Royal Palace simply to conduct what felt like the strangest tea party in Starfall history when Selene Valemont reached in the expensive bag sitting beside her and withdrew a small red card.

The moment I saw it, I knew there was no way this conversation was ending without a catch.

"We have decided to host a small welcoming party," she announced, extending the invitation toward me. "Nothing overly formal. We simply wish to introduce you to several of the realm’s prominent families."

My first instinct was immediate refusal. I didn’t need a social event filled with nobles examining me like an interesting new political specimen. I inhaled, preparing to politely decline, when Sera stepped forward from behind me.

"Her Royal Highness will be delighted to attend," she announced smoothly.

I slowly turned my head toward her, but Sera didn’t even look at me. She accepted the red invitation card from Selene with the calm confidence of a woman who had just volunteered me for something without consulting me. My glare could have melted steel, but she remained completely unaffected.

Mrs. Ravenshade smiled, Mrs. Greymark looked pleased, and Mrs. Valemont gave a satisfied nod. "Excellent. We shall expect her."

Ten minutes later, after another few polite exchanges that I barely registered because I was too busy contemplating whether strangling my head maidservant counted as treason, the three women finally left.

The moment the doors closed behind them, I turned toward Sera. "Why did you accept that invitation?" I demanded. "I hadn’t even said yes."

Sera calmly straightened the edge of my shawl as though we were discussing the weather. "Because you couldn’t refuse it."

"I absolutely could."

"Not without consequences."

I opened my mouth, but she continued before I could argue. "Princess, that was not presented as an official political gathering requiring your preparation or formal participation. It was presented as a welcoming party for the Crown Princess. If you had refused outright, especially after they came here personally to invite you, it could easily be interpreted as you rejecting their goodwill."

I frowned.

"So," she continued patiently, "you would appear dismissive, perhaps even insincere toward the noble families they represent. And you do not currently have the political position to casually offend three Regent Houses simply because you dislike attending parties."

I crossed my arms. She was irritatingly reasonable.

Sera’s expression softened slightly as she looked at me. "You told me yourself that you intend to build your own influence, Princess. You cannot do that while rejecting every hand extended toward you. Sometimes politics means knowing when to push forward. Sometimes it means knowing when to take one step back."

I let out a long breath. I hated that she was right. I hated it even more because this was exactly the sort of thing I had been talking about when I decided I needed to learn how to play the political game. I couldn’t demand power while refusing to participate in the very society where power was built.

"Fine," I muttered. "I’ll go."

Sera gave me a small, approving nod. "Good. Because whether you like it or not, Princess, the game has already begun."