Young Writers Society

“The duchess sent word to them again,” Oskar said with a sigh. “Apparently, one of the queen’s youngest is just as available as you are. But she also is in talks with someone from Spain and another in… oh, Hungary maybe? I don’t think it was Austria, but Hungary would be just as dangerous.” Seeing her morbid expression, Oskar put a hand on her arm. “Whatever she may try, she cannot force you to marry—”

“She can, Oskar,” she whispered.

“She cannot.”

With tears pooling in her eyes, she looked down at Oskar with doubt etched into her face. “She’s got a way with people, Oskar. She’s overriding your decisions, the decisions of the other lords, and clearly intends to keep me out of it as much as possible. What can’t she do?”

“She can’t force you to marry,” he repeated, much more firmly this time. Angella had to look away, give herself a moment to breathe and calm down before her depression set in fully. “She can force you to court, but she can’t force you to marry. When it comes to Lilienthal, well… you’re right in that regard. She has a way with people, but so do you.”

Angella’s brow furrowed, her thoughts now distracted by her confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“Lilienthal is small,” the duchess said admittedly, “but we are also strong. Our state will not fall to such petty schemes—”

“Have you planned proper defenses already, m’lady?” asked the first nobleman. “Last I heard, you have shown little interest in ensuring the safety of your borders.”

“We have patrols and barricades, of course,” she said, waving her hand at the accusation. “Any complaints you have heard are unreasonable—”

“Are you receiving complaints?” pressed Bismarck. Anneliese felt a surge of excitement at the way the chancellor eyed her stepmother so skeptically. There was at least one man in this world who could see through the duchess. “Where is Lilienthal’s military advisor?”

The duchess pursed her lips at being addressed so bluntly, practically dismissed for someone else.

“I would be happy to introduce you to him, your grace,” Anneliese jumped in. She could feel her stepmother boring her black eyes into her, but Anneliese simply smiled at the chancellor with as much pleasantry as she could muster. “I have discussed with him before about our borders, and he says we have several patrols out on rotation as well as newly built barricades which he can describe in far better detail than I.”

Chancellor Bismarck smiled, seemingly impressed with Anneliese’s answer as opposed to the duchess’ dismissal. “Yes, actually, I would like to speak with him—”

“He’s not here tonight—”

“As a matter of fact,” Anneliese dared to interrupt her stepmother, and they briefly exchanged challenging looks that left Anneliese feeling a surge of power and adrenaline, “I spoke with him only twenty minutes ago. I can fetch him for you. I am sure he is on his first round of patrol as we speak.”

“Then we will speak with him when he is available,” the chancellor said, satisfied with Anneliese’s answer.

As the conversation proceeded to a new topic, as the chancellor wanted to discuss details of his concern with the captain present, Anneliese had only just realized her heart racing. It was a strange sense of victory that made her entire body vibrate with anxiety. Her head was spinning as she mentally repeated the discussion in her head, the turn of events from the duchess’ control to Anneliese’s confident interjection, the way the chancellor smiled at her and not the duchess. It left her feeling sick and excited all at the same time.

“Champagne, m’lady?”

“Yes, thank you,” Anneliese said, whirling to the waiter behind her and picking up a delicate flute. She immediately took a long sip and noticed the waiter smiling at her, so she swallowed what she already had and nodded sheepishly at the amused staff. “Thank you,” she repeated more calmly and started to turn back to the conversation in front of her when she remembered, “Oh! And could you fetch the captain for me at his earliest convenience? No rush at all,” she added.

“Of course, m’lady,” the waiter said with a half bow, balancing his tray of champagne, and walked away.