"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."
***
Perfect. They're taking the bait exactly as expected.
The more they dismiss me, the more reasonable my request will seem. Now for the hook.
I turned toward my father. Shifted in my seat to face him more directly. Made my grey eyes wide and pleading in a way that churned my stomach with self-loathing. I was staring at him like a kicked puppy begging for scraps.
I hated it. But it was necessary.
"I was hoping... perhaps... if I could take a personal attendant? Just one person, someone to help me remember things, to ensure I don't miss meals or important appointments? Someone who could guide me through the social requirements? I wouldn't need much, just—"
The silence that followed felt heavier than a tombstone.
I could hear candles guttering. Distant servants moving through other parts of the manor. Lucius shifting in his chair.
Lord Aldric's expression shifted from irritation to something colder. The look of a merchant evaluating a bad investment.
"A personal attendant." His voice carried no inflection. Completely flat. Somehow more terrifying than shouting. "You're requesting that House Leone provide you with a nursemaid. A keeper. Someone to ensure you don't wander into traffic or forget which end of the spoon goes in your mouth."
"Not a nursemaid," I said quickly. "I mean... someone discreet. Someone who understands that I need guidance. Structure. Someone who won't draw attention or make a fuss. Just support. Quiet support."
Lucius threw back his head and laughed.
"Oh, this is magnificent. Little brother wants someone to hold his hand through his first year at the academy. Like a child on his first day of lessons."
"Lucius. Enough."
The laughter died immediately.
My father stood with slow, deliberate movements. His imposing frame cast long shadows across the table. He walked to the tall window, boots clicking against the floor, hands clasped behind his back. He stood there for a long moment, staring out at the estate grounds where evening light painted everything amber and shadow.
When he spoke, his voice carried the weight of political calculation.
"The request has merit."
Lady Vivienne's fan snapped shut.
"Aldric, surely you're not seriously considering this. The boy needs to learn to stand on his own feet. We've indulged his weaknesses far too much already."
"I am considering the reality of our situation." He turned back to face us, pivoting on his heel like a soldier. His grey eyes were cold as winter. "Kaelen has proven himself unreliable in social situations. Spectacularly so. The last thing House Leone needs is for him to create some fresh catastrophe at the Royal Academy in front of the assembled nobility. Another incident could be the final nail in our political coffin."
There it is.
Not "my son needs help" but "my political asset might damage my reputation."
I'd be insulted if I weren't so busy being useful.
"A dedicated keeper," he continued, "someone personally responsible for ensuring our family embarrassment doesn't compound itself, serves our interests better than damage control after the fact. It's better to appear overly cautious than negligent."
Lucius's smile fractured at the edges. The amusement in his eyes hardened into something colder as comprehension settled over him.
"You're actually going to give him a handler. A personal minder."
"I'm going to give House Leone insurance against further humiliation." Father's tone brooked no argument. He returned to his chair with the weary dignity of a general making an unpleasant but necessary retreat. "The only question is determining who would be appropriate for such a delicate assignment."
This was it. The moment I'd been working toward.
I seized the opening with desperate eagerness. Made sure my voice quavered with pathetic relief.
"The Ashford girl, perhaps? Lyra Ashford?" I hunched my shoulders. "She's quiet. Keeps to herself. She understands discretion. Her conduct during the Blackwood investigation proved she can be trusted not to spread gossip."
Lady Vivienne's green eyes narrowed as she scrutinized me. I could practically see the gears turning behind that aristocratic mask.
"That girl?" Each syllable dripped with disdain. "She's barely more than a glorified scullery maid. Hardly suitable for attending a son of House Leone, however disappointing that son may be."
"Which is precisely what makes her perfect," Lord Aldric said. "Someone forgettable. Someone who won't draw attention or inspire gossip among the servants or the nobility. The last thing we need is palace servants spreading tales about the Leone heir's special requirements."
Special requirements. If only you knew, Father.
The ability to see through your precious narrative for the scripted farce it actually is might qualify as the most special requirement of all.
"But she's one of our more competent servants," Lady Vivienne protested. Her manicured fingers tapped an impatient rhythm against the table. "Losing her to this childish whim seems wasteful. The girl manages the entire west wing cleaning rotation without supervision."
"We can train another kitchen maid from the village," Lord Aldric replied, dismissing her concern with a flick of his wrist. "There's no shortage of peasant girls desperate for a position in a noble house. What we cannot easily repair is our family's reputation if Kaelen creates another public spectacle. The incident with young von Valerius was humiliating enough. I still receive pointed comments about it at council meetings."
Lucius leaned back in his chair. His eyes studied me with renewed interest.
"I have to admit, brother. This is more cunning than I've given you credit for. Manipulating Father into providing you with your own personal servant. Perhaps there's a spine hidden somewhere in that pathetic frame after all."
If only you knew, dear brother. If only you had the faintest idea how much spine it takes to play the spineless coward day after day while plotting your downfall from the shadows.
I managed a faint blush of embarrassment. A trick I'd been practicing for weeks.
"It's not manipulation, I swear. I just know I can't do this alone. I've never been able to handle things by myself. And after what happened with Leo von Valerius in the training yard, after the way he humiliated me in front of everyone, I thought... maybe if I had someone to remind me not to make the same stupid mistakes..."
"The von Valerius incident was educational for all involved," Lord Aldric said. His tone suggested the education had been especially painful for everyone who bore the Leone name. His fingers drummed once against the armrest.
"Very well. It's decided. The Ashford girl will accompany you to Solamere Royal Academy as your personal attendant. She will be responsible for ensuring you maintain proper schedules, exhibit appropriate behavior, and achieve minimal visibility among your peers."
He fixed me with a stare that could have frozen summer wine.
"I trust I need not elaborate on the consequences should you bring further shame upon our family name."
"No, Father. I understand. Thank you, Father. Thank you so much."