I looked at myself in the mirror and grimaced. I’d showered, shaved, combed my hair back, and donned my suit. But I didn’t look like a noble, I looked like a child’s doll. I tugged at my collar, which was just slightly too tight.

My suit was made of heavy, black fabric. I could already tell it was going to be too warm for the beginning of fall, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it. Lavin had wanted me to wear an overcoat over my suit jacket, but I’d vetoed that. I was already four or five layers deep, I didn’t need any more.

“You look good,” Char said, from behind me. She was in her suit, which matched mine, but somehow looked far more comfortable than mine. Maybe it was in the way she wore it.

“I can’t move in this damn thing,” I said, trying to fully raise my arms but feeling resistance from the fabric. I began loading my revolver and shook my head. “I’d rather be back in uniform.”

“You think they’ll let you in with that in the holster?” Char asked, glancing at my gun. I shrugged and stashed it in the holster that hung under my jacket.

“The carriage is outside,” Lavin said from the other room. I sighed and lightly smacked my cheeks.

“Game time.”

Char smiled and gave me a peck on the cheek.

Lavin stepped into the room and I heard Char take a sharp breath in. I had to concentrate to stop my jaw from dropping. Lavin was stunning.

She was wearing a gray dress with more frills than there were stars in the sky. It flowed like a waterfall as she moved and glittered. The dress itself only went as high as her chest, of which a lot was showing, but she was wearing a jacket over that. Add a hat on top and she looked like the perfect picture of fashion.

“Come on,” she said. “I’m paying you to protect me, not gawk.”

I blinked a few times and my brain started working again. I gently pushed Char forward and she began leading Lavin down the stairs to the carriage. I took the back.

The sun was just setting, casting the sky in uneasy oranges and yellows. The temperature was already dropping, the nights were growing colder and colder as the seasons changed. In a couple of months it would be snowing. The streets were relatively empty, with most people at home, enjoying dinner at this time. How I wished I could join them.

Char offered me her hand and I took it, stepping into the carriage. I helped her in and slammed the wall of the coach, signaling the driver to go.

Off we went, serenaded by the sounds of hooves on cobblestones and the city. The ride was a bumpy one and I could tell it wasn’t helping ease Lavin’s nerves.

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“The streetcar doesn’t bump this much,” I said. Char shot me an annoyed glance. “Just saying.”

“If I arrived in the streetcar,” Lavin said, “I’d be the laughingstock of Parliament.”

“You don’t like any of those people anyway,” I said.

Lavin snorted. “Fair enough.”

Char made polite small talk with Lavin while I looked out the window and zoned out. The Capital slowly passed by us.

Buildings went from nice to nicer and the people walking about went from rich to richer. The lamps got a bit brighter and the streets a bit cleaner. The sun dipped below the horizon and eventually, even its light faded. Then, we began to leave the city. We passed through the walls, waved through by some guards. The buildings got smaller and less frequent and soon, farmland was all I saw. I strained my neck and looked back the way we’d come and saw the walls of the Capital, towering, bathed in the lights of the city. But that was cut short because before I knew it, we’d arrived.

The Barkley Estate, a mansion in the outskirts of the Capital, had been the location for the Imperial Autumnal Ball for the last hundred years.

The Estate was huge and built out of a white stone. It had so many windows, balconies, and doors that it seemed like it was a maze to navigate. It was roughly spherical, with a large tower rising out of the manor in the center.

Dozens of carriages were on the roads, all going to the same place. We went around the back of the Estate, a trip that took 15 minutes.

I stepped out of the carriage first and helped Lavin and Char down.

“Six guards,” I whispered to Char, “all armed.” She nodded and we walked forward, on either side of Lavin. The back entrance was far less crowded than the front, but there were still a fair amount of people.

Lavin led us through a long hallway until finally, we reached the ballroom. It was huge, with a tall ceiling and two stories of seats and tables surrounding a dance floor. In the center of the hall there was a stage where a partial orchestra of about a dozen musicians played. The hall already had a couple hundred people in it and more were filing in. I tugged at my collar nervously. I didn’t love crowds and I hated rich crowds even more.

Lavin began socializing immediately, with Char and I standing near her. Char fit in pretty well, shaking hands and making polite conversation. At first, a nobleman tried to talk to me.

“How do you know Miss Teralt?” he asked in High Valerian.

“Oh, we’ve known each other since childhood,” I lied.

“Really? How delightful.”

Was it delightful? I wasn’t sure. I muttered a response and grabbed a flute of champagne from a waiter.

“My name is Donai Makelin,” he said, bowing slightly.

“Jonas,” I said, “Jonas, er, Hawkins.” I bowed stiffly.

“Of the Hawkins trading family? My, I thought you lived in the east, what are you doing here?”

“Vacationing.”

“In the Capital? Why, what a funny sense of humor you have. I was last vacationing in Sol Armádan, it’s dreadfully dreary but—”

I zoned out and by the time I’d finished my champagne, Donai was still talking. I glanced at Lavin and Char, who were making friends with two very tall, very thin nobles.

“—but that’s just rumors. I wouldn’t take it as investment advice,” Donai rambled. I approximated a smile and nodded. This was going to be a long night.