Natalie awoke to the soft sounds of pages turning. For a moment, she couldn't pce where she was—the ceiling above her was unfamiliar, the bed beneath her far softer than her own narrow cot. When she tried to sit up, a sharp pain in her side reminded her of the attack in the gardens.

  "Careful," a familiar voice warned. "The physician said you shouldn't move too quickly."

  Turning her head, Natalie found Julian seated in a chair beside her bed, a book open on his p. His usually immacute appearance was disheveled, as if he had been there for hours.

  "Your Highness," she murmured, attempting to rise again despite the pain. "You shouldn't be here—it's not proper."

  Julian pced a gentle hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Propriety seems rather insignificant after what happened yesterday. Besides, I've been granted special dispensation to monitor your recovery, given your service in protecting me."

  Yesterday. The garden. The assassins. Memory flooded back, along with a rush of questions. "How long have I been unconscious?"

  "Nearly a day," Julian replied, closing his book. "The physician was concerned about the wound in your side, but said your youth and fitness would ensure a full recovery. You lost a significant amount of blood."

  Natalie took stock of her injuries. Her arm was bandaged, and she could feel simir wrappings around her ribs. The pain was present but dull—likely dulled by medicinal herbs.

  "Lady Emmeline?" she asked.

  "Safe and unharmed, though quite shaken," Julian assured her. "She's been asking about you hourly. Her mother, the Duchess, has personally thanked the Emperor for your bravery."

  Natalie finally took in her surroundings properly. She was not in her small servant's chamber, but in a well-appointed room in what appeared to be the pace infirmary. Sunlight streamed through rge windows, illuminating a space far more comfortable than she had any right to expect as a mere attendant.

  "This room..." she began, confused.

  "Is normally reserved for noble visitors who fall ill while at court," Julian confirmed with a small smile. "I insisted. The Emperor agreed after hearing how you faced three armed men to protect me."

  Natalie shook her head, uncomfortable with such attention. "I was merely doing my duty, Your Highness."

  "We both know it was far more than that." Julian's expression turned serious. "I've never seen anyone react so bravely in the face of danger, especially from—" He stopped, clearly reconsidering his words.

  "From a girl?" Natalie finished for him, a hint of amusement in her voice despite her pain.

  Julian had the grace to look embarrassed. "From anyone at court, I meant to say. Lady Emmeline was quite impressed by your courage."

  Natalie shifted carefully, trying to find a more comfortable position. "I surprised myself, honestly. I think it was just fear and instinct." She paused, then added, "My mother always told me that desperate situations reveal what we're truly capable of."

  "It was extraordinary," Julian said quietly. "You faced those men without hesitation, knowing you were outnumbered. I've never seen such courage."

  Uncomfortable with his praise, Natalie changed the subject. "Have the assassins been questioned? Do we know who sent them?"

  Julian's expression darkened. "That's where matters become... complicated. The two survivors were pced under heavy guard, but sometime during the night, they were found dead in their cells. Poison, the physician believes."

  Natalie's blood ran cold. "Someone didn't want them to talk."

  "Precisely," Julian agreed. "Which suggests this plot reaches further than a few hired swords."

  Before Natalie could respond, the door opened to admit Madame Bckwood, her usual severe expression softened slightly by what might have been concern.

  "I see our patient is awake," she observed, approaching the bed. "How are you feeling, Natalie?"

  "Well enough, Madame," Natalie replied automatically. "I apologize for any disruption to the household routine."

  Madame Bckwood's mouth twitched in what almost resembled a smile. "I believe saving the prince's life warrants a temporary exemption from your duties." She turned to Julian. "Your Highness, your brother Prince Augustus has requested your presence in the East Gallery. He wishes to personally hear your account of yesterday's events."

  Julian frowned. "I've already provided a full report to Father's secretary."

  "Nevertheless," Madame Bckwood said firmly. "Prince Augustus was most insistent."

  After a moment's hesitation, Julian nodded. "Very well. But I shall return afterward to continue my vigil."

  When he had gone, Madame Bckwood turned her full attention to Natalie, studying her with an intensity that had always made Natalie feel as if the head of household could see through her carefully constructed facade.

  "You've caused quite a stir," Madame Bckwood said finally. "The entire pace is talking about the prince's attendant who fought off three assassins."

  Natalie lowered her eyes. "I didn't seek such attention, Madame."

  _*]:min-w-0 !gap-3.5">She leaned forward slightly. "Most interesting of all, I observe that despite your... extraordinary dispy of courage and skill yesterday, you seem primarily concerned with avoiding attention rather than receiving the recognition most would crave."

  The silence between them stretched taut with unspoken implications. Finally, Madame Bckwood sighed softly.

  "Devotion is a rare quality," she said, rising from her chair. "I suggest you guard yourself carefully in the days ahead. Yesterday's events have drawn eyes to you that might previously have passed over a mere attendant.", "I suggest you guard carefully in the days ahead. Yesterday's events have drawn eyes to you that might previously have passed over a mere attendant."

  She moved toward the door, then paused, looking back at Natalie. "Rest and recover your strength. Prince Julian will need your protection more than ever, I fear. There are shadows in this pace that grow longer by the day."

  After Madame Bckwood departed, Natalie y back against her pillows, mind racing despite her physical exhaustion. The attack in the gardens had changed everything. No longer could she remain in the background, quietly guiding Julian while avoiding scrutiny herself. Her actions had thrust her into visibility—and visibility was dangerous for someone living a lie.

  A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. The door opened to reveal Lady Emmeline, carrying a small bouquet of silver asteria flowers—the very ones Julian had been showing her in the gardens before the attack.

  "Natalie," she said, approaching the bed with a warm smile. "I'm so relieved to see you awake. May I sit with you a while?"

  Natalie nodded, genuinely pleased to see the young noblewoman unharmed. As Emmeline arranged the flowers in a vase by the bed, chattering about the pace's reaction to yesterday's events, Natalie found herself studying her with new eyes.

  Lady Emmeline was intelligent, well-connected through her mother the Duchess, and genuinely fond of Julian. Perhaps most importantly, she was outside the immediate pace hierarchy—less likely to be entangled in whatever conspiracy had spawned yesterday's attack.

  "Lady Emmeline," Natalie interrupted gently, "may I ask you something in confidence?"

  Emmeline looked surprised but nodded. "Of course. After what you did for us yesterday, you may ask me anything."

  "Did anything strike you as unusual about our outing to the gardens? Any detail, however small, that seemed out of pce?"

  The young noblewoman considered the question seriously. "Well, there was one thing. When Julian first suggested the botanical gardens, I mentioned it to my dy's maid while she was dressing my hair. Later, I overheard her speaking with one of Prince Augustus's attendants in the corridor. I thought nothing of it at the time—servants often gossip—but now..."

  Natalie's suspicions deepened. Information flowing from Lady Emmeline's maid to Augustus's attendant could easily have reached the assassins, expining how they knew exactly where to find Julian.

  "Thank you," she said. "That may be important."

  Emmeline leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Natalie, these weren't common bandits, were they? This was an organized attempt on Julian's life."

  "I believe so," Natalie confirmed, seeing no reason to shield the intelligent young woman from the truth. "And I fear it won't be the st."

  "How can I help?" Emmeline asked without hesitation. "Julian is dear to me, and I owe you my life as well."

  The directness of the offer caught Natalie by surprise. She had expected sympathy, perhaps even gratitude, but not this immediate alliance.

  "Your family has influence at court," Natalie said carefully. "Your mother's friendship with the Empress gives you access to conversations and pces that would be closed to me."

  "You want me to listen for information," Emmeline concluded. "To watch for signs of who might wish Julian harm."

  "If you're willing," Natalie nodded. "But it could be dangerous. Whoever orchestrated yesterday's attack is powerful enough to silence witnesses even within the pace walls."

  Emmeline straightened her shoulders, a determined light entering her eyes. "Julian has few true friends at court. Most nobles curry favor with Augustus and Edmond, seeing them as the future. But Julian... he's different. Special. He deserves loyalty."

  In that moment, Natalie recognized a potential ally as valuable as she was unexpected. "Be careful," she warned. "Observe without being obvious. Trust no one entirely."

  "I'll be discreet," Emmeline promised. "But what about you? After yesterday, won't you be in danger as well? Whoever pnned this must see you as an obstacle now."

  The question was perceptive and troubling. Natalie had been so focused on Julian's safety that she had barely considered the implications for herself.

  "Perhaps," she acknowledged. "But I have advantages they don't anticipate."

  Their conversation was interrupted by Julian's return. His expression was tense, his earlier rexed manner repced by the careful mask he wore in difficult court situations.

  "Lady Emmeline," he greeted her with a formal nod. "Would you mind terribly if I spoke with Natalie alone? Court matters, I'm afraid."

  Emmeline rose gracefully, understanding immediately. "Of course, Your Highness. I was just leaving." She squeezed Natalie's hand briefly. "Remember what the physician said—rest is essential for healing."

  When they were alone, Julian paced to the window, his body rigid with contained emotion. "Augustus had the gall to suggest the attack was my own fault—that my 'reckless wandering' in the gardens without proper guard was an invitation to danger."

  Natalie watched him carefully. "And what else?"

  Julian turned, his eyes reflecting surprise at her perception. "He questioned how my attendant—a young girl—could possibly have fought off three armed men. He suggested your account, and Lady Emmeline's, might have been exaggerated through the shock of the event."

  "Did he offer an alternative expnation?"

  "He implied the men might have been common thieves who fled when pace guards approached, and that you were injured trying to protect me from what was essentially a misunderstanding." Julian's voice was tight with anger. "He's trying to diminish what happened—and what you did."

  Natalie considered this. If Augustus was working to control the narrative around the attack, it suggested his involvement—or at least his knowledge of it. But accusing the Crown Prince without proof would be not just futile but dangerous.

  "Your Highness," she said carefully, "we must proceed with caution. Without the assassins to question, we have no direct evidence of who orchestrated this attempt."

  Julian nodded grimly. "I know. But I'm not a child anymore, Natalie. I recognize the pattern—whenever I gain any recognition or favor, obstacles appear. This is merely the most extreme example."

  He returned to her bedside, lowering his voice despite the privacy of the room. "Father has ordered an investigation, but it's being led by Captain Darius, who answers directly to Augustus. I hold little hope for its results."

  "Then we must conduct our own investigation," Natalie said. "Quietly, carefully."

  "We?" Julian raised an eyebrow. "You're injured, Natalie. The physician said you need weeks of recovery."

  "My mind remains sound, Your Highness, even if my body requires healing." She smiled slightly. "Besides, I've had an unexpected offer of assistance from Lady Emmeline."

  Julian looked surprised. "Emmeline? But she's not... I mean, she's schorly and kind, but hardly suited for intrigue."

  "Which makes her ideal," Natalie expined. "No one will suspect her interest is anything but academic. And her position gives her access to conversations where neither you nor I would be welcome."

  Understanding dawned in Julian's eyes. "A network, then. Like the influence map you showed me—but with people rather than pces."

  "Precisely," Natalie nodded, pleased by his quick grasp of the concept. "We need allies we can trust, eyes and ears beyond our own."

  Julian considered this, his expression thoughtful. "Master Holloway in the library. The schors and diplomats who visit him often speak freely, believing themselves alone among the books."

  "An excellent choice," Natalie agreed. "And perhaps Martha in the servants' hall. She dislikes me, but she's fiercely loyal to the pace itself. If she believed someone was threatening its proper order, she might be persuaded to help."

  As they continued developing their strategy, Natalie observed the change in Julian with both pride and concern. The boy who had once hidden from his brothers in the library was evolving into a young man capable of navigating deadly political waters. Her tutege in observation and strategy was bearing fruit—but at what cost to the gentle, schorly nature that had first drawn her to him?

  "We must be extremely careful," she cautioned. "Whoever orchestrated this attack has influence enough to silence imprisoned men within the pace walls. They won't hesitate to eliminate any threat to their pns."

  Julian's expression hardened with resolve. "I know the danger. But I won't live in fear within my own home, Natalie. And I won't allow those loyal to me to face threats meant for me."

  He took her hand, a gesture that would have been shockingly improper under normal circumstances. "What you did yesterday—risking your life for mine—I won't forget it. I promise you, when I discover who was behind this, they will answer for both their treachery and your injuries."

  The fierceness in his young voice stirred both warmth and worry in Natalie's heart. Her mission to protect Julian had just become infinitely more complex. The assassination attempt had failed, they had returned safely to the pace—but they had returned to a nest of vipers, with enemies lurking in shadows and allies few and uncertain.

  As Julian outlined his initial pns for gathering information, Natalie silently renewed her commitment to his protection. She had come to the pace seeking mere survival, disguised herself to escape danger. Now, ironically, she was willingly pcing herself at the center of a deadly political conspiracy—not for her own sake, but for the young prince whose welfare had somehow become more important to her than her own.

  The game had changed, its stakes raised beyond anything she had anticipated when she first donned a girl's clothing and took the name Natalie. But one thing remained constant: her determination to keep Julian safe, whatever the cost to herself.