The rain tapped against the windowpane, creating a soothing rhythm as Liam sat at his study desk, surrounded by stacks of unfinished yet nearly complete paperwork. He glanced at the antique clock on the wall, its hands slowly ticking away the hours. Time seemed to stand still in the solitude of his thoughts.

The room was dimly lit, with a soft glow emanating from the desk lamp, casting a warm hue upon his face. With a deep breath, he reached for his phone, dialed a number, and held it to his ear. The sound of the ringing filled the room, amplifying the tension that hung in the air.

After a few moments, Marcel's voice crackled through the line, breaking the silence. "Liam, what's going on? It's late."

Liam only sighed as he responded, "Marcel, I need your help. Look, remember how you said you owed me one for helping you? I want to call that favor in now."

There was only a pause on the other side followed by a deep sigh of obvious reluctance. "...Alright, hit me."

"You are aware of the Justinians?"

"Yes, I maintain some connections with them as a former duke, but nothing too deep. You want me to cut ties with them?"

"No, there's one of them named Elara. She's about to have her coming-of-age celebration soon and is fretting about guests for this special occasion. She needs some folks with clout over there, and I told her I'd help her get some influential people to attend. You're a powerful member of the new age elite of Carolingien, whose influence and fame reach far beyond the borders of your nation, you being there would help her a lot."

Liam only received a pause of contemplation.

"...Liam, I said that I'd return the favor for helping my family but... this is a strangely specific and mundane request to make." Marcel voiced over the phone. "What's your play here?"

"Elara is about to host her first masquerade ball, and I am aware that she needs a few high-profile guests to make a good impression on the family. I asked some others to come too."

"Alright, I have some affairs I need to settle over in Sternan anyway, but can I at least know why I am helping boost the reputation of this specific Justinian?"

Liam sighed, palming his face.

"Do you remember what I told you about the night of the fire? What I saw that made me leave?"

"Oh... Oh fuck." Marcel expressed over the phone. "...Have you told her yet?"

"Not yet. I'm planning to soon, but maybe after this whole family feud blows over."

"And wait until she's in a much better position to screw you over?" Marcel expressed with obvious skepticism. "Liam, this isn't something to treat lightly. Knowing what I'd do, you need to watch yourself around her."

"Whatever happens to me is what I deserve," Liam responded resolutely, a pause taking over. "...Now, here's the invitation to Elara's birthday ball."

"...Alright, I'll consider it but you better not go and do something reckless. Regardless of what you might think, a lot of people still need you."

"Alright," Liam hung up and looked at the clock. It was almost past midnight. He sighed and returned to working with the paperwork at his desk.

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The morning sunlight streamed through the gossamer curtains, gently coaxing me from my slumber. Scratching my eyes, I sat up, the radiant sun blinding my bagged eyes. The familiar surroundings of my opulent bedroom greeted me. A knock resonated from the door, announcing the arrival of my attendant, one of the devoted servants in our household. She entered with a graceful bow, her eyes filled with warmth and respect.

"Good morning, Lady Elara. May I assist you?" she inquired, her voice as gentle as always.

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I nodded, a forced smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "Yes, please, Sarah. Prepare my bath and lay out my attire for the day."

Sarah moved with silent efficiency, attending to my request. As she drew the bathwater, infused with the intoxicating fragrance of rose petals, I rose from my bed, adjusting the luxurious silk robes that wrapped my body. I approached the intricately carved vanity mirror, my eyes meeting my reflection. It was just another day of countless tasks ahead. There was the matter of meeting the Heretoch later for dinner and then handling matters surrounding my coming-of-age celebrations. So many crucial tasks to fulfill on behalf of my mission with little room for error.

My contemplation caused me to stare blankly into the mirror, and in that moment I looked into my empty and lifeless eyes and snapped out of my trance. Evident aloofness would be counterproductive to fulfilling my task, and I immediately put on the smile that I wore at most functions.

Meanwhile, Sarah carefully arranged an array of brushes and cosmetics, poised to enhance my natural beauty. She worked her magic, her skilled hands weaving delicate braids and adorning them with precious pearls. With every stroke, she brought forth a vision of elegance, sculpting my hair into a work of art.

As the grooming ritual neared its completion, Sarah stepped back, her eyes filled with satisfaction. She handed me a small, sealed envelope, the wax stamp bearing the insignia of my father's family. I tipped my head as I received it. It was a letter stamped with the mark of the Diriyah Royal Family. Possibly a letter from my cousin, Princess Halimah.

I opened it carefully and read through the letter, the revelations of its contents making me raise an eyebrow.

Dear Lady Elara,

It has come to my attention that you are coming of age soon, which is wonderful news to hear, as I am inviting you to Diriyah to claim your birthright left behind by your late father. As a loyal trustee of your inheritance, I am excited to render unto you what is rightfully yours with Diriyah's courts as our witness.

So the letter revealed an inheritance left behind by my late father in Diriyah. He died before I could ever see him, so I'm surprised that much was even left for me in the first place. This seemed urgent, however, and I would have to set a date for a flight. A smaller part of me was suspicious about this inheritance and whether it was truly wise to go to Diriyah unattended. I will need to give this journey a little more thought. I still had time before I needed to claim whatever I needed to claim, so might as well focus on the immediate matters first.

The phone on my desk rang, I picked it up.

"Residence of the most esteemed Justinians, Elara speaking," I answered.

"Elara, it's me Liam, I'm just calling to see if you're good for later's dinner," Liam said.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked.

"I'm just checking, you are a busy woman after all."

"I carefully schedule matters to make accommodations for occasions like this. They are too important to miss, especially matters surrounding meeting the Heretoch."

"Right then, just making sure. My superior grilled my arse for connecting the both of you, so I also wanted to ask for your formal reassurance that you will not be attempting to influence Sternan military matters as a matter of national security."

"Alright, I can give those assurances. Do you need it in writing?" I asked.

"Yes, just hand it over to me when we meet."

I was just about to hang up when I was reminded of my letter. It was perhaps a stretch, but Liam's intelligence resources could help me with this inheritance. If he could gather a profile of my relatives, perhaps he could look into my father and his property records. I bit the bullet and made the request.

"If you do not mind, can we also discuss something after dinner? I have something I want to speak with you about."

"Er, sure? Mind telling me what it is about?"

"I'll show you afterward, it's too risky discussing it in the open and while we're on official business, for both our benefit," I replied.

"Right, then. See you later."

I hung up on the phone before leaving the room. Today was a rather dull day at the estate, most of the others were off engaging in diplomacy or public relations campaigns. Being the youngest and unengaged in family matters, most of my days were spent in the manor's library, where I frequently conducted my research on either our vast collection of books or using our home device to connect to the network and look up various information. I planned to do research on the Heretoch in preparation for our dinner together while waiting for our scheduled dinner, as well as look into Diriyah's political landscape to see what I was walking into claiming my inheritance.

As I walked through our halls, I ran into my uncle, Lord Gillian. I gave him a courteous bow and he gave me a gentle smile in response.

"Ah, Elara. Are you headed towards the library as usual?"

"Yes, milord," I responded.

"No need to be so formal, I'm your uncle. I have been informed that you have reserved a chauffeur for later, may I ask why?"

"A dinner with some officials I met, mere socializing, uncle," I answered.

"I see, well, it is good for you to be so active in engaging with the public at such a young age. You're a lot like your mother in that regard. Hopefully, your friends will be as valuable to you as hers were to her." He chuckled. "I will not keep you here any longer, I have matters I must attend to."

"Alright, farewell uncle," I said before walking past him. It was obvious he was fond of my mother, but I could hardly tell what he was thinking. Even now, I could not determine his status as a potential opponent or ally. The more I hide from him, the more I question if he already knows everything.