-Felicity-

I remained at the barracks for the rest of the final day, leaving Reid in charge of getting my dress and accessories to a room in the palace for me to change into after the ceremony. I figured that was the best way to keep Duke Lyon from knowing anything.

I sat at a table in the common room and sipped my drink. Felix wasn’t there, but one of the duke’s men was. He glanced at me from time to time. Sir Patrick wasn’t very good at hiding the fact that he was watching me. I nodded to him cordially, knocked back the rest of my drink, and got up, heading to my room to get into my dress uniform. Duke Lyon’s carriage would pick me up from here, I knew. He wasn’t going to chance me running off.

Sure enough, when I stepped outside, I was greeted by a man in Lyon livery. He bowed to me. “Sir Mortuary,” he said and opened the door.

I glanced back at Patrick as he stood at the barracks door. He saluted. “Sorry, Sir,” he said.

“It’s fine,” I said. “You didn’t have a choice, either.” I stepped into the carriage and sat, sweeping my hair back from my face. I’d only gotten it wet to keep my bangs back. It would dry soon. Lowering my hand, I looked at my white glove and frowned as I found a gold strand of hair on my palm. I would have to dye it again. When would I have the time for that?

The carriage got moving, and I focused on breathing. My nerves were buzzing like I’d been hit with lightning. I knew I was going to be ridiculed. It was my full intention. 

Arriving at the palace, I stepped out and headed inside, guided to my seat by an attendant. The maid didn’t seem the least bit impressed by me, which was understandable. She was lower nobility, but her bloodline was pure. I would be a commoner coming in as a baron of some slip of land out in the Lyon Duchy.

Reid soon joined me. He sat on my left. To my surprise, the second prince took the seat to my right.

“Don’t worry. I’m not staying long,” Prince Daniel said. He grinned broadly and leaned in to whisper in my ear. “I just wanted to say congratulations, and I’m glad you’re doing this.”

I shot him a glare. “Don’t be so sure.”

Prince Daniel, a stunning blond man with blue eyes, was hard to ignore in any setting. He cut an impressive figure in his fine suit decorated with the medals of honor he’d been awarded over the last five years. He was the only person on the battlefield who had found out about my gender. That was only because Prince Daniel was blessed with Luck. It was the power bestowed upon him by the gods, and everyone thanked them that Daniel wasn't a bad person since his Luck could get him out of nearly everything. Not me, though.

Daniel got up from the seat before the actual owner of it arrived and headed off to his throne at the front.

Reid sighed. “I can’t believe you told him before you told me.”

“I didn’t tell him,” I said in a whisper. “My shirt got ripped off in front of him.”

The redhead stared at me. “Off? Like. Fully?”

“Full. Frontal. I guess he’d prayed to the gods that morning to see something exciting,” I said grumpily. It wasn’t my fondest memory. It hadn’t even been during battle. It was a drunken brawl between street trash that I’d accidentally gotten involved in. Prince Daniel had come to aid me, tripped, and missed getting his head cut off. The prince had flailed, grabbed my shirt as it got cut along the top, just under my shoulders, and ripped the whole thing down.

It had certainly stopped the fight.

Reid fell silent. The person on my right had come to take their seat. Duke Lyon cast a smile at me as I stood to salute.

Silence fell as everyone got to their places, and the ceremony began. It was boring as they typically were. This would be the fourth medal I was to receive. I didn’t want it. I wanted the title less. I smiled anyway as I received both. I couldn’t be rude to King Ardyn, after all. He wasn’t involved in my war against Lyon. He would just be collateral damage.

I glanced over the crowd, identifying numerous nobles I’d had to interact with whenever I was in the capital. A large man with black hair and red eyes sat near the front, severely scowling. No one behind him could see what was going on. Felix sat in the middle, helplessly staring at someone near my seat. He looked lovestruck. Odd. 

“In further recognition for your service, Baron Mortuary is hereby assigned to the Royal Order of White,” the king announced as I continued to kneel in front of him.

Well. That’s not a bad reward. I’ll not be under Lyon’s thumb, even if I still report to him for the barony. I would be Princess Shauna’s royal guard.

I stood and went back to my seat. The ceremony continued. Daniel, of course, got another medal for something that had happened by accident: him and his damned Luck.

Lyon turned his head partially to ask, “Why do you hate me?”

“I asked politely to be released from duty,” I said without looking at him.

“I was worried. What were you going to do with yourself? Be a mercenary?”

My hands tightened on my thighs. “I saved your life five times,” I pointed out. “I think escorting caravans is well within my skills.”

“It’s beneath you.”

“Who are you to tell me what I-” I closed my mouth when Reid elbowed me.

“I asked His Majesty to put you into one of the royal guards,” Lyon said. “You couldn’t be placed there without a title.”

“I had my own plans,” I said.

“A mercenary,” Lyon muttered derisively.

The remainder of the ceremony was spent in silence. I quietly seethed even as I stood for the final bow to King Ardyn, and we were all released to get ready for the ball.

Duke Owen approached, yawning broadly behind his hand. “Goodness, what a boring ceremony,” he said to Lyon. “Did I miss anything important?”

“How is your duchy still functioning?” Lyon asked bluntly, “You can’t stay awake for an hour-long ceremony?”

I slipped away with Reid, missing out on Owen’s reply.