While the princesses lived somewhere within the residences of their mothers, the sons were afforded much more privacy as with most households. They had separate residences within the palace grounds and Khayri was more than happy for Kamaria and Urien to use his residence as a meeting place.

Kamaria was sitting out in the private garden and joking with Raisa when they saw Urien approaching.

Raisa greeted him as he walked past before she disappeared to another part of the garden where she found Brice also patiently waiting. Urien sat down on the bench next to Kamaria with a smile.

“Where did you vanish to these days?” asked Kamaria genuinely curious about what he had been doing.

“Just boring things, helping my father with some matters of the fief. It would give you a headache if I tried explaining. Why, did you miss me?”

Kamaria looked away before shaking her head.

“If I’m wrong then at least look at me and say that I’m wrong.”

She shook her head again and Urien playfully poked at her side until he noticed her wince at his touch.

“What’s wrong? Do you have an injury?” he asked with a bit of alarm in his voice.

“I just had clumsy accident a few days ago. I bumped into the corner of a table, and it left a bit of a bruise,” she insisted while still looking down.

“What were the servants around you doing while watching you get hurt? I hope that table was used as firewood for hurting you.”

“That’s silly, I feel bad for the table,” she said.

Urien had heard about the incident with the maid, but this injury seemed to have nothing to do with that. He also thought that if she wanted to talk about the incident, she would certainly bring it up as a topic.

He didn’t want to upset her so didn’t ask about it at all besides, she seemed to be doing just fine.

He smiled before taking her hand and this made her turn to look at him.

“Well in our house I’d burn that table even if we have no tables left.”

“What nonsense. Speaking of us… Have you spoken to your parents?”

There was a slight pause in the air.

“Not yet,” answered Urien and Kamaria loosened her hand from his grip while making a face.

“Listen, the people at the palace wouldn’t fully focus on my proposal with Khayri’s banquet so soon.”

Kamaria didn’t care on whether they would focus on it or not. She didn’t want a big show concerning the engagement. Usually there would be a grand engagement announcement banquet followed by the wedding preparation with more big banquets.

What was important for her was that their families knew. It would finalise things more than any banquet.

If his parents knew and officially approved their relationship, they could start preparing gifts and such for wedding talks with the Empress who oversaw those matters for all the imperial descendants.

Considering the caution in most things she did and how she tried to keep out of sight in the palace, Kamaria had taken a long time for her to allow Urien close enough to court her.

Their relationship had reached this stage so it would feel more secure being able to be together in public. Even if they had a long engagement and waited until her older siblings were married first, at least they would be official.

“Besides the banquet, it’s also almost the end of the year and mentors will choose a few students to be under them to prepare for second year and I need to be chosen by a mentor. Let’s make sure all those major events are over and then I’ll have a talk with my parents. You’re not angry with me, are you?”

Kamaria silently shook her head, and he took her hand in his again since he could sense she wasn’t completely happy but was willing to compromise for his sake. Urien sincerely appreciated her understanding.

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He was also doing this for her since the better his reputation and status, the better matched they would be if he intended to marry her. He didn’t want that to be something that stood in the way.

“I know how important the mentor selections are.”

Kamaria wasn’t sure what was wrong with her. Usually, she was much more composed even when she was upset with him but lately, she found herself a little impatient. Maybe it was because her goal of being out of the palace was so close.

On his second try, Urien had made it into the imperial Academy and now that the first year was ending, mentors would choose students to be under them for the remainder of their academic career.

If the mentor happened to be an official or someone with considerable connections, the student could work as one of the assistants in whichever ministry the official served.

This almost guaranteed they would have a good standing when they graduated and were recommended for positions. It was the same for those in other departments whether it was medicine or the creative arts.

Kamaria imagined Urien had a lot to deal with seeing as he stood to inherit not only his father’s title as a Count but also eventually hold a high official position as well. She had to remember not to speak as she wanted as if she were speaking with Khayri or…

“Mari, what are you thinking about?”

To her shock, she realised that someone completely random had appeared in her thoughts though they hadn’t seen each other in over two months, and she silently reprimanded herself for even thinking of comparing. She couldn’t afford to be having the dreams of a silly little girl.

“I was just distracted, sorry.”

Urien kissed her hand and smiled.

“Anything special you want me to get for you next time I come back?”

“Mmm… any dessert from Şeker.”

“Anything other than food Princess,” he said with a smile.

She turned to him with a blank look on her face because she didn’t understand the statement of anything other than food. While she did appreciate it, it didn’t do much for her having expensive jewellery and accessories around the palace when she wouldn’t be able to wear it.

There would be questions about its origins, and they were not a recognised couple yet so it would just make things difficult.

“Then, I’m fine. Maybe next time we could go outside the palace,” she said.

“Outside the palace? It’s not that interesting unless there’s something like a festival going on. Maybe when there’s a special occasion.”

“Okay, I’ll take that as another promise then,” agreed Kamaria and he nodded.

Then he suddenly kissed her cheek and before she could process what had happened, he was already on his feet.

“Khayri is already waiting so we can leave the palace grounds. I have to attend an event with my father otherwise I’ll never hear the end of it.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out and he seemed very satisfied by the reaction, so he confidently strode away with the walk of someone who had achieved a lot in life.

He passed by Raisa who wondered why he looked so satisfied with himself as she walked back to Kamaria who was still sitting in the bench.

“Princess, what is the purpose of your face?” asked Raisa when she saw the strange expression.

Kamaria then smiled to herself a little before turning to her attendant.

“I’m suddenly in a good mood, let’s see what we’ll get at the market today. Everyone’s busy thinking about Khayri’s event so they wouldn’t be looking for me anyway, but we’ll tell them we’re going to uncle’s residence in case they ask.”

Raisa clapped at the idea. Since the night of the festival, they hadn’t been out together although she was still worried about the state of Kamaria’s body. But if Raisa showed anything less than her usual enthusiasm, the princess would start fussing.

****

“How is the Princess doing today?”

“Except for seeing the youngest prince at his residence earlier, she left the palace.”

The empress consort threw a few more fresh leaves into the small pot as she continued stirring. They would have to keep the medicine warm until she could drink it. The entire situation gave her a headache from just thinking about it.

“If that woman has a problem with me, she should deal with me instead of targeting a child she knows won’t fight back.”

They had heard about the empress summoning the princesses for punishment but somehow the instigator had seemingly cried her way out and received the lightest punishment but then again wasn’t it always how it turned out.

If they were the one in charge, why would anyone want to harm their own child.

It made her so angry and upset thinking about how her daughter had to live to try and keep out of the empress’s sight. As for her title, Empress Consort Johari had never used much of her power in order not to overstep on the empress and her family.

Her daughter stayed out of everyone’s way and shrunk herself so much that even when she was around people they barely noticed her presence. There was nothing she did that was extraordinary, but she was not infamous for anything either.

Living so quietly had even curbed the once cheerful disposition she had as a child, and the empress consort regretted not having fought harder for her child to have a better life instead of being reduced to always hiding in her residence as if she lived in a war zone and not her home.

Even if the palace was its own type of war zone, she shouldn’t have expected a young girl to accept that living passively was the only way to survive. The only thing she could do for her daughter was equip her with knowledge and skills.

Consort Johari could be angry at many people concerning the situation, but she was mostly angry at herself for being so weak.