Cassandra found Prince Adrian exactly where she had expected him to be.
One of the smaller sitting rooms in the palace had long since become his preferred refuge whenever court affairs afforded him a rare moment of peace.
The room was quiet, save for the droning voice of his valet, Gideon, as the man informed him of a matter that had recently occurred in Arden.
Adrian occupied a chaise near the window, a book resting open upon his lap. He was the picture of refinement, impeccably dressed with every strand of hair neatly arranged.
Though from the distant look in his eyes, it was evident his thoughts had wandered far from its pages as he listened to his valet’s report. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting light across the carpet and lending the room a warm tranquility.
But that changed the moment she entered. His attention shifted away from whatever Gideon had been saying and settled entirely upon her.
"Cassandra." A smile tugged at his lips as he called out to her.
She returned the greeting with a small nod before making her way toward the vacant seat opposite him.
"I hope I am not interrupting," she said placidly, noticing how swiftly Adrian had shut down the conversation the instant he caught sight of her standing in the doorway.
She quietly shelved the observation away as she greeted the other man in the room. Gideon acknowledged her with a respectful bow of his head, his expression remaining as unreadable as ever.
His awfully fastidious demeanor was the complete opposite of the prince, who was known throughout the palace for his good humor and easygoing nature.
He possessed an endearing youthful charm that had clung to him since childhood, even though it had been many years since he had truly been a child.
"You rarely interrupt anything," Adrian reassured her, flashing his most charming smile, one capable of sending the hearts of many young ladies aflutter. "Come, sit with me. Gideon was just leaving."
Gideon pursed his lips at the unmistakable dismissal, no doubt suppressing a few choice words regarding the prince’s eagerness to send him off now that Cassandra had arrived.
His gaze lingered on Adrian for the briefest moment before he wisely decided against voicing his thoughts.
Only a moment later, he departed the sitting room, quietly closing the door behind him with a soft click.
With merely a flick of his wrist, Adrian closed the book and set it upon the side table, his attention never once leaving her.
"I would have gone in search of you if you hadn’t found me first," he said conversationally. "I have been meaning to speak with you for some time now. Living under the same roof has helped, yet somehow it has become even harder to steal a moment alone with you than before. Busy woman that you are."
He managed to sound slightly peeved by the end, a fact that greatly amused Cassandra.
It reminded her of a far more blissful time years ago, when a much younger Prince Adrian would eagerly trail after her and the late Princess Lillian through the palace corridors.
He would practically bounce from foot to foot, patiently waiting for them to pay him enough attention to include him in whatever mischievous scheme they had devised to entertain themselves that day, all while trying to remain beyond the ever-watchful gaze of Lillian’s governess.
"It is true that the past few days have been rather tedious, and my work has been even more demanding than usual," she replied with a faint smirk. "A pity not all of us have a studious valet like Gideon to keep our affairs in order, unlike someone I know."
"You may borrow him whenever you like. Though I feel obliged to tell you that he makes terrible company. You will be eager to return him to me, assuming he doesn’t bore you to death first."
He chuckled, amused by the thought of his valet’s deadpan expression had the man remained long enough to hear such a remark.
Years of companionship had accustomed them to one another’s presence to such a degree that conversation between them never felt forced or burdened with the stiff politeness expected between a prince and one of his noble subjects.
Though no blood bound them together, they had long since settled into a relationship that resembled that of an elder sister and a younger brother more than anything else.
"Whilst we are still on the topic, may I know what the two of you were discussing before I came in? It sounded rather important," she pressed, holding his gaze from the seat opposite him to ensure he didn’t worm his way out of answering. Judging by how quickly he had diverted the conversation in the beginning, she had little doubt he intended to. "Something to do with Fairmont?"
His next words only proved her right.
"There is very little to say, except for how much I dislike the man," Adrian said, sounding distinctly put out that she had returned to the subject. "I have never seen a bigger coward."
A hypocrite was what he was, Cassandra thought, though she kept the observation to herself.
She suspected there was much more Adrian was withholding, and his obvious reluctance to discuss the matter only strengthened that suspicion.
"Try not to antagonize him," she warned calmly. "He may tolerate the animosity directed at him by most men, but you are not most men. You are a prince, and his future king. A man like the Lord Chancellor is bound to react differently when that hostility comes from you."
Her time in politics had taught her a great many things, one of them being how to navigate difficult situations and remain afloat while surrounded on all sides by powerful men, some of whom, she reminded herself, had hated her enough to frame her for a crime in another life.
Politics was a game made for men, by men. The playing field belonged to them, and so did the rules.
Yet unlike many of her male counterparts, who preferred to throw their weight around and publicly undermine their opponents, Cassandra favored subtler methods. She relied upon patience, careful observation, wit, and influence rather than intimidation or brute force.