Vella finishes the repairs for the teleportation circle, and then her time in Barrowmere is over shortly after. Lenore tries to give Vella gifts to thank her for her work, but she takes only a hairpin and raises a sealed scroll, saying that the duke has beaten her to the gifting portion.
Despite her efforts, Lenore is unable to get Vella to elaborate on what she means by that. She simply winks at Lenore and says that she'll find out soon enough.
The rest of winter passes without incident. Lenore keeps visiting Alaric in the evenings with medicine, finding that he's always prepared something for her in return. Usually nutritional supplements. If she has a slight cough or sneezes too much, then he has medicine for her. It becomes a natural part of their day, and Lenore starts having trouble remembering how she spent her evenings without Alaric's presence.
She even falls asleep during their evening refreshments, finding herself carefully tucked in her bed in the morning and told by her maids that Alaric carried her there himself.
With so many moments of kindness, sincerity, and pure care from Alaric, how could Lenore not fall in love with him? That's why she savors each moment, never asking for more. He doesn't need to love her back. She's happy standing by his side as his wife, even if it's a platonic marriage.
As the temperature outside starts rising, Lenore finds her days grow increasingly busy. The actual act of packing her luggage is done by servants, but she's asked for input on what to include several times a day. Which dress does she prefer? Which pair of shoes would she like with that dress? Would she like this set of jewelry or something more eye-catching?
In the beginning, she's overwhelmed by the questions. In her uncle's manor, she was given Alina's old outfits to wear, so she never needed to give much thought to her style preferences. At that time, she only had to look presentable in front of guests, and it wasn't often that she had to make an appearance. Beyond that, she was kept in the confines of the estate, choosing any dress that felt comfortable that day.
Now, the number of choices is dizzying. Sure, she started making more decisions about her clothes once her new wardrobe from Madam Nelle arrived, but she often let her maids pick her outfits instead. Unfortunately, she has to make all the decisions for packing, since it's not possible to take all her clothes and swap them at a moment's notice.
Evening can't arrive fast enough, and carrying the tray from the kitchen to Alaric's study means that Lenore is done with handling official business. For today, at least.
Alaric, expecting her, is already sitting by the table. "You look like you might need the sleep aid more than me today."
After the tray is in front of Alaric, Lenore takes her seat across from him. The stress of the day hits in full force now that she has a moment to rest, and the weight of her fatigue is unforgiving. "I didn't know that preparing for a trip to the capital would be so draining."
"It isn't always like this." Alaric takes a long drink of his medicine, always trying to finish it before the taste can linger for too long. "The banquet and festivities that celebrate another year of the emperor's life are simply seen as more important than other events. That means the expectations placed on the nobles attending are higher."
Lenore brings her own teacup to her nose and tries to figure out what's been prepared that day for her. It's a light scent with floral notes. Likely a tea to help with the stress that's been building up these days, judging by past drinks she's been given. "Is the emperor a vain man?"
Alaric looks almost surprised by her question. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, he has a yearly celebration for his own birthday. The banquet might be the highlight, but the entire city will be holding festivities for days."
Alaric shrugs one of his shoulders. "It's more about tradition than vanity—not that every emperor of the past has seen it that way."
"So, he does this because it's been done for long enough that not having the event would be stranger than having it?"
Once his medicine is gone, Alaric leans back against the couch. "You could see it that way. But it's more accurate to say that it's a test."
Lenore sips at her tea slowly. If she finishes it too quickly, she has less of an excuse to keep talking with Alaric. "What kind of test?"
"A test of loyalty. Which nobles continue to support the throne, and which ones want to remove it? Are there new alliances between the families? Are there families who have lost their wealth to the point that they don't show up in as extravagant of an outfit as last time? That's what everybody is looking for. At the same time, it's a chance to build connections with nobles from different territories who have a hard time meeting otherwise."
It's a lot to take in. Lenore has some memories of her uncle and Alina attending the emperor's birthday banquet and other events, but she never knew much about them. She only knew that there was a chance they returned home angry, and then it was best if she stayed out of their sight for a while.
"What should I do?" Lenore asks.
Alaric shakes his head. "Finish preparing like you have been. Make sure to take the motion sickness medicine before we get on the carriage. As for the actual event, you'll receive more pity than anything."
It doesn't make sense that she'll be pitied while the rest of the nobles judge each other's worth and alliances. "Why?"
Alaric smiles, and she doesn't miss the bitter edge to it. "You're the duchess of a cursed land and married to a duke who's had countless wives before you. In the eyes of nobles, you're just an unfortunate girl instead of a hidden power they need to account for in their plans."
"It's true that I don't want to be in the middle of political struggles like that."
"You don't need to worry. It's best to let them fight among themselves. Besides, it's not like my power or wealth are in a position that they can try to leverage. Feel free to ignore their games."
Lenore feels at ease not from the knowledge that she's not much of a target for the nobles, but from the warmth that blooms in her chest when Alaric comforts her with his explanation.
In the capital, she won't be confident because she isn't involved with the hidden agendas of other nobles.
She'll be confident because Alaric is by her side.