For Juliette, this had been a day marred with tragedy and filled with mostly unwelcome surprises. She had desperately hoped that there would be no further disruptions until tomorrow, if only because she was too distraught to deal with another sudden change. But then she heard the servant announce new guests.<em>King Haidar of Nydewia and Company!</em>she repeated in her mind, shocked. She immediately felt a surge of frustration at the world in general and the queen in particular.<em>No one tells me anything around here! Why doesn’t that bitch just order me back into the military where I could be useful, if she’s going to leave me out of everything?</em>But then Juli noticed that everyone around her, or at least those whose expressions were readable, was equally surprised. Had only the queen known about this? Surely this sudden intrusion would only reignite the anger of the Aserit king?<br/><br/>Her mind still racing, Juli considered three possibilities as she looked to the Nydewians. The worst case scenario was that they had come to play both the Theiri and Aserit sides against the middle—an entire contingent of lethal variables, as the assassin was. The best case was that they were here to announce a defensive alliance against the Aserit—that seemed too much to hope for, but given that the Aserit were such a threat to all their neighbors, it would be a sensible move. But most likely, they were here simply to watch out for their own interests and had yet to make a decision if they would ally with anyone.<em>I really—</em><br/><br/>But the princess completely lost her train of thought when she saw the pale and elegant beauty among the Nydewian delegation. She starred for a second too long before finally forcing herself to look away. To be sure, there were any number of strikingly attractive women in this castle. But even among such rarefied company, this woman stood out. Equally important was her expression, the look in her eyes... Juli could tell there was a fierce intelligence there, analyzing everything she saw. And that dress just looked so wonderful on her lithe form...<br/><br/>Once again Juli’s mood shifted, to guilt over thinking about something so trivial as sex so soon after the news of the king’s passing. Her emotional extremes were not showing on the surface, but they were exhausting. This day had completely shattered her normal calm and analytical detachment.<br/><br/>Juli tried to start in with her meal, but then caught sight of the same woman, now speaking to a servant holding a book. The princess was very surprised when the servant then came directly to her.<br/><br/>“Princess, Lady Olivia Wilde offers her deepest condolences on the loss of your father,” the handmaiden said. “This gift was intended for him, but she wishes for you to have it.”<br/><br/>Juli took the book and was immediately impressed with how the gift was so elegantly bound and embossed. Clearly Lady Olivia was a refined enough to know how to deal with royalty. And the subject matter! This was a woman after her own heart to be interested in such a topic. Juli’s initial lust was now giving way to infatuation—she had to know more about this impressive noble.<em>If only I weren’t so ignorant about the Nydewians,</em>she thought regretfully.<br/><br/>The gift was so thoughtful... in her fragile emotional state, it took considerable effort for Juli not to cry at such a wonderful gesture. Her eyes did water slightly, but it was not very noticeable. “Give the Lady Olivia my sincerest thanks for her condolences and this truly remarkable gift.” She paused a moment. “Tell her that I would greatly appreciate the chance to speak with her after this banquet, if she is willing.”<br/><br/>The servant then departed. Juli was unable to resist reading the first couple pages before returning to her meal, such was her curiosity.