Okay, Lili, don’t panic.

Don’t panic, Lili.

Lili, miraculously, managed not to panic. She looked away first and reaffirmed for herself that she was still in control of the situation. He hadn’t said anything to her. He wouldn’t say anything at the party, even if he did know she was Tresterville’s princess!

“Miss Aurora.”

She was not in control of the situation! The Duke had walked away from his men to corner her!

She faced him a little too quickly, startled.

Sybella had clearly dressed him for the evening, and his usual black-on-black ensemble was accented with reds for once. A silk shirt in crimson red under the black waistcoat with the gold buttons—and gold thread trim, of course—with long sweeping lines that led to pointed black shoes.

He wore it well for a man clearly so uncomfortable in it.

Lili herself was both dressed by Sybella and comfortable. She had opted for another red dress, which Sybella must have favored because it was the same red in the Duke’s shirt. Lili had black slippers this time, which had gold accents.

She and the Duke looked a bit like a matching set, if Lili did say so herself.

Which she didn’t, because that would be weird.

And he didn’t say anything but her name, which she was getting used to.

“Easing up on King Scarfone, then?” she asked, because he might know her more than he was letting on and she might be in more trouble than she realized. She definitely didn’t ask because she was hopeful, or because she expected any surprise answers.

He frowned harder at her, and Lili was almost comforted.

“Never!” He spoke with such vehemence that Lili winced—which he noticed immediately. He averted his gaze to let her recover her composure, then squared his shoulders.

“Why are you hiding back here?” he recrossed his arms, looking around as if to find whatever had captured her interest.

“No reason, sir.” Lili shifted her weight, offering him a wan smile. “A moment alone, perhaps.”

He thought that over for a moment, then bowed formally to her.

“I won’t intrude further then.”

“Oh.” Lili tried to mask her surprise at his consideration, but her poker face failed her and his frown asked the question he wouldn’t verbalize: What did that “oh” mean?

“That’s unnecessary,” she went on. “I just wasn’t expecting your attention, sir.”

He snorted, and the sound was so incongruous with how he usually behaved that she found herself smiling at him. His eyes sparkled at her amusement and, for just an instant, it almost seemed like he would smile back.

“You’d be the only one tonight, then,” he admitted, angling his body to peek back out over the crowd from the safety of the alcove.

Lili leaned to the side to look out, as well, making unfortunate and immediate eye contact with Amedeo, who scowled at both of them.

Lili pulled back quickly.

“Your reprieve may be over. I fear I’ve attracted Amedeo’s attention.” Lili grimaced at the Duke and he sighed, nodding.

“That you have.”

They shared a look that from Lili meant I don’t want his attention, ever and from the Duke, what Lili interpreted to mean, Please stop antagonizing my second in command.

“He seems to disagree with your choice not to attack Tresterville,” she said. “Are you going to withdraw your troops from the border?”

The Duke shrugged one shoulder, lifting his hand offhandedly to reply.

“Do not answer her!” Amedeo’s sudden proximity made Lili jump, but the Duke simply let his hand drop as Amedeo planted himself squarely between the two of them, forcing Lili to take a surprised step back.

“That”—Amedeo turned to address the Duke without showing Lili his back—“is exactly the kind of question a spy would ask.”

“I am not exactly keeping it a secret,” the Duke replied dryly, arms crossing. “Everyone in this hall knows more than Miss Aurora does about our military plans.”

Lili was not sure how she felt about that. If she were actually a spy that may bother her, but even as a non-spy she didn’t enjoy the feeling of being out of the loop.

“So now the Duke should tell me,” Lili pointed out.

There was a silent argument between Amedeo and the Duke, which Amedeo appeared to win.

“Maybe another time,” the Duke said, half-bowing to her, and Amedeo smirked triumphantly at her.

Lili swallowed her disappointment and forced a smile, curtsying politely.

They moved off, and Lili was left alone with the strangest feeling that she had been on the verge of something. That an opportunity had slipped through her fingers.

That she had grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory.

For the rest of the night, Lili did her job. She played only a few more songs though, as her change in humor wasn’t lost on anyone. Even the guests stopped making requests, and eventually Lili had talked herself into a miserable spiral of realization.

She had one night before her death.

She lay in bed staring at the ceiling through the gauzy curtains hung on her four poster bed, thinking about what she could do to give herself a better chance of surviving tomorrow.

There weren’t a lot of options.

She knew more about the Dark Duke.

She knew more about Neilsland.

She had run away from home.

And what? Tears pricked her eyes.

She hadn’t really done anything.

But at least if this was the end of her life, she had performed in front of an audience once. She had met people from far away. She’d made a friend. She had stopped the Duke from invading Tresterville tomorrow—probably—and she was considered the resident musician of a magnificent kingdom.

Things were different.

Lilinova had to hope they were different enough.