“Cucumber sandwich, Your Royal Highness?”

Pressing my lips together to contain a laugh, I shake my head at the waiter. Chloe catches my eye and I see her own lips are twisted in a barely-contained grin.

As it turns out, we were both wrong about Octavia’s motives. Our trip to Westgate is not, in fact, a set-up for me to date Alden, but rather a tea hosted by his mother, Naomi Sterling — Baroness of Westgate. My gaze sweeps the large parlor where two dozen of Germania’s most well-connected (read: wealthy) women are floating around in the latest designer fashions. The cumulative cost of all the dresses, shoes, and accessories in this room is more than the GDP of most third world nations. And I’m not even including the royal jewels in that estimate.

“Incoming,” Chloe warns lowly.

I turn just in time to see Ava approaching, her navy blue cocktail dress a sharp backdrop against her long platinum locks. There’s a smile fixed on her face, but I notice not a smidge of warmth in her intent hazel eyes.

“Princess Emilia! How good of you to come.”

I return her frigid smile. “Oh, you know me — never pass up an excuse for a good cucumber sandwich.”

Chloe snorts into her mimosa.

“Happy we could oblige Your Royal Highness.” Ava’s eye twitches, a telltale sign of the anger boiling just beneath her surface. She glances at Chloe. “And Chloe — always wonderful to see you. It’s a shame your brother couldn’t come today. Strictly ladies only, at mother’s insistence. Such nonsense.”

“Carter’s on that ski trip with Alden in the Alps. They’re not scheduled to come back until tomorrow, anyway.” Chloe’s voice drops to a murmur. “Selfish pricks should’ve taken me with them so I could get out of this.”

Now it’s my turn to snort into my drink.

Ava’s expression reveals she’s less than amused. “Well, when the boys return, we’ll all have to get together. It’s been far too long.”

“Yes, things have been a bit busy lately!” Chloe says in a falsely bright tone. “What with your fiancé nearly dying and all. But sure, by all means, let’s throw a party!”

Ava stiffens. “Henry’s condition is precisely the reason we must continue to live our lives to the fullest. That awful fire was a tragedy but, in a way, it was also a gift — it made me see just how precious our time here on earth is.”

“Wow, Ava.” Chloe’s eyes roll. “Those acting classes your parents bankrolled are really paying off.”

Oh boy.

I take a large swig of my champagne.

“Excuse me?” Ava’s grip is so tight around the stem of her glass, her knuckles have gone totally white. “I’m not sure I like what you’re implying, Chloe.”

“And I’m not sure I like you setting your sights on my brother again, now that the Crown Prince is suddenly out of commission.”

I flinch. “Again?”

Ava glances at me, amused. “Oh — did you not know? Before Henry and I got engaged, Carter and I were together.”

What?!

I try to swallow down the question, but I can’t. “For how long?”

“Three years,” she informs me happily.

“On and off,” Chloe interjects. “Mostly off.”

“Even so.” Ava’s victorious smile is painful — a dagger straight to my heart. She leans in, eyes locked on mine. “You never forget your first love. Wouldn’t you agree, Your Highness?”

I blink rapidly, searching my brain for a proper response. Something breezy, that won’t reveal my deep distress at this unexpected conversational twist.

You never forget your first love.

Thankfully, Chloe jumps in and rescues me. “Judging by the past-season Prada heels you’re wearing, I know you’re a fan of dredging up ancient history, Ava — but don’t you think it’s time you moved on?” She arches her slender red eyebrows. “Oh! Wait. My mistake. You do have a fiancé lying in the hospital. Isn’t that right? Tell us, when did you last visit him? Have you ever been to visit him? Because I go twice a week and, funnily enough, I’ve never once bumped into you in that waiting room.”

“They won’t allow visitors,” Ava snaps, her defensive tone unmistakable. “He’s cordoned off in the burn unit.”

“I’ll take that as a no then,” Chloe murmurs.

I swallow another long sip of my drink. It’s almost empty.

Definitely time to flag down another waiter…

“You don’t know the first thing about what I’ve been going through.” Ava’s voice trembles as though she’s suddenly overcome with grief, but it doesn’t ring true. “This has been the most difficult time of my life.”

“Cut the dramatics, Ava.” Chloe’s eyes roll. “You’re more upset about losing your shot at becoming the queen than you are about losing the man you’re supposed to love.”

“And what exactly would you know about love, Chloe Thorne? I’ve known you since we were children and in all that time, not one person has ever spared you more than a single night’s worth of attention.”

“Enough. Both of you.” I cut in before Chloe can retort. “Can we at least attempt to get through this damn tea party without bloodshed?”

“Aw! I see you have a new watchdog, Chloe,” Ava laughs as her eyes slide to mine. “How… cute.”

It takes effort to keep myself from snapping back at her but, seeing as I’m the one calling for peace here, I force a benign smile instead.

“So, Your Highness—” Funny how my title sounds like an insult on Ava’s lips. “How have you been holding up? I haven’t seen you since the coronation. It was such a trauma, I figured you’d be simply wasting away from the stress!” Her eyes cut me down, taking in every curve of my size six body in the fitted green wrap dress I’m wearing. “I’m happy to see you’re not skin and bones. In fact, you’re looking quite healthy these days.”

I flinch, despite my best efforts to conceal it.

Ava sees my reaction and her smile widens — a shark smelling blood in the water. Her voice is full of false sweetness. “I hope I haven’t offended you, Princess! I just envy your ability to maintain such a full figure. No mater how much I eat, I can’t seem to put on any weight at all! You must tell me your secret.”

“Oh, go peel a grape, Ava,” Chloe hisses, leaning forward. “You’ve been on the air diet since we were twelve.”

Ava’s eyes sharpen. “I don’t have to ask your secret to staying thin, Chloe. Everyone in this room knows your diet consists of a steady supply of booze and pills. Everyone in this country, actually, seeing as your last two overdoses were splashed all over the papers.” She pauses. “Perhaps you can give the People’s Princess some pointers before they have to build additional weight supports for her throne.”

Chloe takes a stride forward, fully prepared to go to battle on my behalf. “Listen here, you frostbitten little bitch—”

“Chloe! She’s not even worth it,” I mutter, throwing out a hand to stop her before she makes a huge scene. Already, I can feel the weight of several pairs of inquisitive eyes on us — the other ladies in the room, peering over their teacups to discern the latest drama.

“Aren’t you two just adorable.” Ava’s stare drifts from Chloe to me and back. “It’s clear you have a special bond. Closer than sisters!” She leans in to whisper. “But then, you’ve always had such close female friends haven’t you, Chloe? A shame it caused those rumors about you on Page 6 last year! I wouldn’t worry too much, though. I’m sure your delightful mother will eventually find you a husband who doesn’t mind your rather… untoward proclivities.”

My face pales.

My step-sister releases what can only be described as a growl. I tighten my grip on her arm, holding her back, though in all honesty I’d like nothing more than to help her put this smug bitch in her place.

“Ava, I suggest you turn around and walk away,” I warn, smiling with clenched teeth. “Because you might’ve been raised here in this little bubble of tea parties and polite society… but I grew up in the real world. And I think we both know, despite the truly impressive size of your bitchy attitude, when it comes down to it, my healthy, full figured self could kick your skinny ass from here to the Austrian border.” I smile cooly, channeling a look I’ve often seen Octavia don in my presence. “Not to mention sign a royal decree barring your re-entry.”

“You don’t have the power to do that!” Her indignant huff is music to my ears.

“Oh, Ava.” My eyes gleam. “Try me.”

With that, I whirl around and stride away, tugging Chloe after me. I don’t stop until we’ve left the parlor behind in favor of a heated glass atrium overlooking the manor’s sprawling, snow-covered grounds. I stare at the drifting snowflakes, breathing far harder than normal. When I finally unclench my hands, I find an orderly row of half-moon fingernail indents scored across my palms.

“Dude!” Chloe exclaims lowly. “Did you see her face!? You were such a badass back there.”

I shrug.

“I’m serious! Where the hell did that come from?”

“She pissed me off.”

“Then people should piss you off more often, E.”

“Honestly, if there was an award for Bitch of the Year, Ava would give Octavia a run for her money.”

Chloe snorts.

“I’m not joking!” I insist. “She’s a terrible person.”

“That’s common knowledge.”

“Has she always been like that?”

“Pretty much. I think she came out of her mother’s womb wearing that same haughty expression.”

“How on earth did Carter ever date her?” I shake my head, as if to reject the mere thought of them together.

“It was a long time ago. Back when we were teenagers. And…”

“What?” I ask.

“Ava’s a mega bitch, but even I can’t deny she’s a hot piece of ass.”

Staring out the window, I strive to slow my pulse. It’s a futile effort. My mind is awhirl with thoughts — about Ava and Henry and Carter. About the strange love triangle I never knew existed.

“How did it end?”

Chloe sighs. “It was never serious — at least, not on Carter’s side. He was a horny seventeen-year-old and she was an easy mark.”

“But it was serious to her?”

“I don’t truly believe someone like Ava is capable of love, but I do think she felt something for him. Of course, whatever feelings she had for my brother were quickly extinguished when she realized she could marry Henry and become the Queen of Germania. Amazing how fast her heart flipped from one boy to the other.”

“How did Carter react?”

“Not well, as you might guess. Seeing a girl who claimed to love him choose power and opportunity over what they had together only reinforced all the shitty things he already believes about relationships.”

“Mmm.”

“Not to mention it just about wrecked our entire friend group. The guys still hung out, of course… but it was never the same after that. The trust had been breached. There was no going back to the way things were.”

I suddenly find myself thinking about last month, when we shared a limousine with the Sterlings on our way to King Leopold and Queen Abigail’s funeral. Replaying the memory with fresh eyes, certain details stand out starkly.

Alden’s strained silence.

Chloe’s pointed commentary.

Ava’s predatory looks, when she saw me sitting beside Carter.

It all makes sense.

I glance over at Chloe. “Is anything in this world ever uncomplicated?”

“Nope! Now, let’s get back in there before we miss everything.”

“Sorry, but no amount of mimosas is going to convince me to go back in there to be picked apart by those… those shrews. And since when did you start caring about rubbing elbows with socialites?”

“I don’t.” She sighs. “Just trust me, okay? You don’t want to miss this.”

“God forbid we skip a single minute of tea and crumpets!” I snort. “How exceptionally vital…”

“Screw the crumpets. Haven’t you figured out how this works, yet? More political decisions have been made by women sipping tea than they ever have by men in grand halls. The women in that room run this country. Their husbands might control the laws… but they control their husbands.”

I snort. “This session of Parliament sponsored in part by: Prada.”

She grins. “Now you’re getting it.”

Feet heavy with dread, I follow her back into the room where a pack of wolves in designer day dresses awaits — their words far sharper than fangs, their stares more cutting than any set of claws.