It is neither a bad day, nor does it feel like a good one.

The heavy feeling hung over her head the moment she awoke. The run in with the noblemen in town from the day before could be to blame or it could be the frustration of her morning search turning up fruitless. Or possibly, both. 

"My Lady?"

Brushing her hair aside that has grown unruly from all her running around her chambers, Celeste spins to find Anne at the doorway. 

"My pendant is gone, Anne."

"Have you forgotten, My Lady?" Anne asks. 

Celeste drops the pillow in her hand. "No, Anne. I am coming."

A lost pendant is not a valid reason for her to be late in greeting her father. From the time it takes her to arrive at the front courtyard from her bed chambers, Celeste hopes her sour mood lightens up quickly. 

“Are mother and Theo already waiting?”

“Yes, you are the last to arrive, My Lady,” Anne answers. 

Celeste sighs.

Picking up her pace, she soon arrives and moves to stand beside her mother. They share a quick smile before facing forward. In the distant, they can see her father and his aides swiftly approaching on horseback. He is returning fairly quickly from his visit to the border territory but nonetheless her mother's face still brightens at the sight of him. 

As he dismounts his horse, something catches everyone’s eye. Her mother’s smile also promptly evaporates at the sight a deep purple color staining his gray doublet’s torn sleeve.

“What’s this?” she asks.

He doesn’t flinch even as she reaches out to touch and examine the injury. She looks to his aides for answers, but both Nathan and Scott nervously hold their tongues. 

“A small scratch,” her father replies.

“Should I call for the physician?” Celeste asks.

Discerning the seriousness of the situation, even Theo is careful not to speak out of turn.

Yet, despite everyone’s concern, her father remains curt. “There’s no need for that.”

Her mother is hardly content with his response, but she does not oppose him on it. Instead, she motions for his aides to come along.

“Come inside and rest.”

“Thank you, Your Ladyship.”

Taking her father by the arm gently, her mother leads him inside the manor. “How did you manage to receive such an injury?”

From behind, Celeste watches her parents, unsettled. What is this sense of dread that she’s feeling?

“Celeste, do you mind brewing some tea? The one Duke Ellis gifted us."

“I’ll do so, mother.”

***

As expected, a ‘small scratch’ wouldn't keep her father at home and he immediately reported to the palace as soon as morning came.

On the other hand, Celeste was ready to rest as soon as her lessons ended. She decides against sneaking into town as it is too risky at the moment and opts for a midday stroll. Replacing the lost pendant will have to be postponed for another day.

Hearing a sudden ruckus breaking the silence in the hallway, she goes to investigate. Catching a glimpse of a young man disappearing into her father’s office, she looks to the confused servants and offers a comforting smile. She follows along and waits at the doorway, silently watching the frantic young man sift from one pile of paperwork to another. Finally sensing her presence, he looks up though his hands do not stop moving.

“Greetings, Lady Celeste,” he breathlessly acknowledges her.

“Is my father overworking you again, Nathan?” Celeste asks with humor. “Can I help you with anything?”

“Oh? Oh no,” he quickly answers and returns his attention back onto his search. “It should be around here.”

Celeste doesn't want to be pessimistic, but her father is meticulous. Things are not usually misplaced.

“Then, I’ll leave you to it.”

Not a step further by Celeste and Nathan calls out, “My Lady–,”

She turns around and comes face to face with a pair of pleading eyes. He realized much sooner than she expected.

*** 

With her eyes down on her own scrawling, Celeste asks, “How do you manage to remember all of this, Nathan?”

He’s busy with his own writing that he does not bother to look up to answer, “All from memory. I composed the original proposal, My Lady.”

With a simple explanation that these are some dire circumstances, Nathan easily ropes Celeste into helping him transcribe new official documents. He rationalized that there is no possible way he would be able to finish by himself before the court session ends.

“Memory?”

Nathan said it so casually that it would make anyone envious. She can see why her father keeps him around. Initially, Celeste did not focus much on what she is writing. Eventually, she becomes more mindful of the document's contents.

“Lady Celeste, are you ready for the next page?”

“Hm? Yes, I’m ready.”

After some time, Celeste decides to carefully pry.   

“Nathan, surely you do not want to leave stains on the parchment paper,” she remarks after finding that the beads of sweat on his forehead are impossible to miss. “Do they need to be completed today?”

Like he had been holding his breath, he exhales loudly. “Today might be our only chance."

To her delight, he starts to reveal information without her need to push. 

“This entire proposal is supposed to convince His Majesty that there are benefits to be lenient towards those we conquered during the war.”

For the first time, Celeste’s hand stops moving. 

“Lady Celeste, you mustn't stop now–,”

“My father supports this?”

“Yes, My Lady,” he answers without hesitation. “He has also managed to persuade others in favor… a few others. 

It seems that the clarification is important to mention. She wants to ask why something so important as this could go missing, but it would only interfere with their focus. 

“How much time do we have left?” she decides to ask instead. 

*** 

Well, there did not seem to be much time after seeing how Nathan rushed out with the documents barely in order. But she trusts that he'll make it in time for the sake of their hard work. Leaving the thought behind, she finishes her dinner and begins her nightly rituals.  

Just as Celeste finally decides to prepare for bed, a knock on her bedroom door disturbs her. It should have been simply Anne coming in to assist her, but instead, her visit brings a different message.

“His Lordship called me to fetch you, Lady Celeste.”

Hesitantly, she asks, “Where to?”

“The front courtyard, My Lady.”

After fixing her gown, she leaves her room to enter the colder night air. Her footsteps slow to a stop when her father comes into view, then they completely halt at the duke's unexpected presence.

Their eyes meet. 

Never would Celeste think she would be running into him this often or frequent. She had anticipated her days to go back to normal. Days where the duke did not casually appear every now and then. Yet, here he is, at the manor for a second time. Something out the corner of her eye draws her attention– the sword attached to his hip. Does he usually carry it around or has she purely not noticed before?

“Greet Duke Ellis, Celeste,” her father calmly reminds her when the silence appears to drag on.

In the midst of her surprise and curiosity, Celeste had forgotten simple etiquette. She bows once remembering her manners. “How are you, Your Grace?”

She looks between her father and the duke. This is quite the strange setting. Why is it just the two of them out here in the dark?

“I am fine, thank you for asking. I apologize for making a visit so late into the night.”

Why is he apologizing to her? “Not at all. What can I do for you?”

“Well, I think this belongs to you,” he says as he slips his hand inside his doublet for something and offers it to her. “I apologize for not returning it sooner.”

He’s apologizing plenty tonight, Celeste thinks to herself in amusement before the feeling is replaced by another upon seeing the familiar item. 

“My pendant.” She should have been delighted by its reappearance, yet—,

“I’ve had it since that time we met in town.”

She can feel her heart jump unpleasantly in her chest.

Well, she truly did not expect to keep the visit from her father, but she did not think he would learn of it so soon. At the reveal, she is afraid to look in her father's direction and she can see the confusion on the duke's face. After all, she had told him something else entirely. 

“You entered town, Celeste?” her father asks.

His tone gives nothing away and she chooses her next words carefully. “For an errand, father. I did not wander and returned as soon as it was completed.”

She can only wish he would not scold her in front of such company.  

Before he could have a chance, she hurries forward to receive the pendant from the duke. “Thank you for bringing it all this way, Your Grace.”

Cautiously, he answers, “It was not a bother.”

Pressing her lips together, she turns to her father. "Should I have the servants prepare the drawing room?" she asks while looking between the two men. Is it appropriate to keep Duke Ellis out here?

“I will be leaving soon, Lady Celeste,” the duke politely interjects.

She nods her head in understanding. “Well, I will take my leave then. Have a good night, Your Grace.”

Bowing quickly, she tries to successfully disappear from their sights. Her hopes plummet with her father’s next words ensuring that her night would not end as smoothly as she would have hoped.

“Celeste, go wait for me in my study.” 

Maintaining her innocent smile, she responds, “Yes, father.”