Mint. I don't think I'd ever really worn mint.

We'd done well. Patricja insisting that a lighter pink was just so my colour. We'd found a beautiful floor-length dress. The bust conservative and almost resembling a blouse. The whole thing was made of a dusty pink satin fabric. For once I felt that I had enough of a tan instead of being washed out. It'd pulled me in on the right places and managed a sneaky glance at my collarbone. My aunt would be proud.

"It's too formal," The shop attendant was the first to voice my concern. Patricja sighed her acknowledgement. Our work wasn't in vain, quickly coming across the dress; a mint green midi dress with fluttery cape sleeves and a slight v-neck. Like the dusty pink dress, the green one had a nice fitted bodice, flaring out in a skirt to end just below my knees.

"Royal colours as well!" Patricja beamed. She'd helped me curl my hair and add a little makeup. I'd opted for the simple, gold necklace my parents had given me for my seventeenth birthday.

Patricja had nodded her affirmation before whisking off at fifteen-to. As a result, I hung alone in my room, watching the Eastern wall of the palace glimmer in the night.

Was does Cas want? The thought continually popped up- an unwelcome visitor. For a little while I'd thought it'd been purely personal interests. Overjoyed at the idea, that he might fell something too, I'd accepted the touring position. Then work steamed forwards and we'd barely spent any time together to give me even a slight indication of what he felt. It didn't help that today seemed to be more of a brainstorming session than anything.

I groaned, my head falling into my hands. You knew from the start that this would be a mess.

A soft knock on the door, I jumped up. Quickly brushing my hair away from my face and smoothing out the creases in my dress, I answered the door.

Cas stood alone, his hair lightly gelled to the side. He wore a clean, white dress shirt with a single black tie. We locked eyes, I paused, a silent moment between us.

What was that about this being a mess again?

Cas looked away, as if he'd been caught doing a wrong, "You look beautiful," He managed a small smile. I flushed.

"Thank you kind sir, you don't look so bad yourself,"

Why did you insult him after he said something nice? A part of me wailed. Cas offered an arm, of which I took. The two of us making our way down the hall. This time I didn't feel so small.

"So, what's tonight for?" I asked playfully. Patricja had given me a few tips. Curtsey here, address this person like that here. They're not all as casual as we are with P.C.A, she reminded me. We'd practiced our curtseys in the upper-class streets of Apolia City's boutiques.

Patricja had ran me through the conduct with Cas' siblings who might me there. Princes and princesses. I'd shook my head. A month ago I would've never believed that a girl in a forgotten town would be dining with royalty.

Don't worry about the Queen and King, Patricja dismissed, they won't be around. They're at their Summer castle I think, enjoying the long days.

"Just meeting with the family," Cas spoke simply as if it was no big thing, "mostly talking about how the past few days have been going and what will be the most effective strategy going forwards,"

"Because you have to petition parliament, right?" I recalled. Travelling around and recording the issues was one thing, enacting actual change was a whole other level. Cas would need to support of his family, then the Prime Minister, and then parliament. A trickle down system worked best and was quickest.

"Yes," Cas breathed out slowly, his face already weary with the roles and challenges ahead, "it'll be a long battle, but a worthwhile one,"

We eased into silence. Of course, any noble cause would be a worthwhile one.

"Not to ruin the mood," Cas chuckled, the laugh dying off quickly, "we don't like to talk about it much. But, Apolia had one of the highest male suicide rates in the world,"

"No," I gasped, "really?"

Cas nodded, his face set into a frown, "In the male population, its forty-seven for every hundred-thousand people, third in the world,"

Yes, there was Chesno culture and a rampant mental health struggle but forty-seven! Third in the world! I felt sick, suddenly the weight of our work bearing down on me.

"About two-thirds are related to mental health issues developed during deployment," Cas spoke under his breath. We walked down the large, red staircase. Instead of going straight forwards to the double doors where the courtyard gardens would be, he led me around a sharp right corner to an almost secret hallway. The place was candlelit and darker in style. This was a hallway for personal use. "PTSD, martial breakdown, and such. But the root problem always seems to be a deployment of some sort,"

We stopped at the end of the hallway, Cas turned to me.

"This is why our work is important. I don't want the people who risked everything for this country to just be relegated to a stat. They deserve more than that. They deserve better than that,"

I nodded, biting my lip.

"Of course,"

Cas looked up, to the door.

"Sorry for ruining the mood,"

"No, no, it's important. I think, if anything, we don't talk about it enough," I nodded, "I've had friends who've all gone through something like that," The memories of childhood friends re-surfaced. Ala and Alfred's uncle who'd served in the military for years had been lost in the same way. Apparently he'd returned from deployment and then two days later had walked into the Chesno Forest, never to return.

I remembered their faces, mostly blank. Alek had cursed the people that continually allowed this to happen. We'd never truly sat down with his uncle but we'd met him once in passing. I don't think they ever fully recovered.

"Everyone has," Cas nodded, "and they shouldn't. But for now-," Cas turned to the hallway door.

"Now we put on a brave face,"

"Thank you," Cas gave a tight-lipped smile, a facade for something swirling deep underneath. I wondered if Cas had ever lost anyone. He spoke about the topic with a bit too much passion.

"We can do this," I gave my best grin, "we have to," I offered my hand to Cas and he took it, giving it a slight squeeze.

Oh my goodness, we're actually holding hands, a part of me screamed. Cas opened the door and I was shocked by what was inside.

Anyone could've mistaken for the room to be a part of a log cabin instead of a castle. Wooden floorboards directed to a beautiful, stone fireplace. A few couches surrounded the roaring blaze. Before that was a long, wooden table. Chairs were placed around it and plates were haphazardly placed. This looked more like the work of an untrained hand than the particular discipline I'd seen from the servants. A few people milled around, some seated on the couches, some standing by the table. There had to be a top of seven people in the room. French music wafted in the background adding to the casual atmosphere.

Was I overdressed? I wondered.

"Hey guys!" Cas shouted, I looked to him quickly. Oh no, prepare to be the centre of attention. Everyone paused their conversations, looking towards us. "This is Sofia!"

Great. I was so screwed.

Everyone moved forwards to talk all at once. The closest one; a slender-figured woman with dirty blonde hair thrown over one shoulder, piercing green eyes and in a simple, white jumpsuit.

"This is Daryna," Cas grinned. She rushed forwards, embracing me in a tight hug.

"Thank you for looking after my idiot brother over the past few days," She pulled back, scoffing and rolling her eyes. "I honestly don't know how he survives sometimes,"

I managed a small chuckle, my mind racing a million miles an hour. The Princess Daryna? A controversial figure in Apolia. She spent years abroad, pushing the feminist movement in Apolia and was often nicknamed 'the work woman's sister'.

"She's just back from studying in the UK," Cas explained, "what are you doing now, again?"

Princess Daryna scoffed, punching Cas on the arm. She turned to me, giving me an award-winning smile that was probably insured for a million bucks, "I just finished my Doctorate of Philosophy in Art History while opening another Art Museum in Ukraine," Her words had a heavy English lilt. She must've been gone for a long time.

"Wow," I did my best attempt in sounding impressed. Internally, I felt a little small. My part time study in nursing was probably nothing to her, "that's incredible,"

"So do people call you doctor or princess?" Cas joked. Princess Daryna scoffed before moving back for the next round of introductions.

"Ivan and his wife Katryna," A man with long, dirty blond hair and a wide, chiseled face gave me a small nod. His wife, a curvy supermodel was over-dressed in crimson red. She shook my hand, looking me up and down through her slitted false eyelashes.

"Welcome Sofia," She smiled widely, her red lips and jet black curls giving her an almost vampirish-complexion. I noticed a Russian tilt to her words and was secretly shocked. Generally, it was understood that pairing with Apolian slaves was better than an empress from another land.

"Ivan and Katryna will be getting married in the Spring," Cas explained, "but don't tell that to the press," A bubble of laughter as everyone shared into a joke that I was not yet privy too.

"Congratulations," I beamed.

"Thank you," Ivan nodded.

There was Matviyko, the fourth son, with his cropped, brown hair, cloudy pale eyes, and slender frame. His wife apparently was absent. As well as Oleksiy, the second child. He was almost identical to Cas, possessing broader shoulders and a taller frame. He gave a kiss to my hand and almost crushed Cas in a bear hug. For a moment, I thought we'd lost him.

And then the final two figures-.

"Mother, Father," Cas managed. I could feel him looking to me to gauge a reaction. His voice was rushed, "what a pleasant surprise,"

Exactly the kind of thing you say when it isn't a pleasant surprise.

The colour drained out of my cheeks. I wasn't prepared for this. Cas tapped a finger to the small of my back and led me forwards like we were on a ballroom floor. He stopped before his parents.

"Sofia, these are my parents, King Miezko and Queen Olena," Cas' words were diplomatic, though there was a slight undertone that I couldn't decipher.

"So lovely to meet you Your Majesties," I managed, half in a curtsey. Don't fall, don't fall. I chanted in my head. It was an informal situation so I just went with what Patricja probably should've recommended me.

King Miezko had a beaming smile on his face. He was clean shaven with a broad face and shining blue eyes. The newspapers had touched his colour up a little though he did have bright cheeks. Her wore a short sleeved light blue shirt and khaki shorts. His wife, Queen Olena had her faded hair swept into a ponytail. Her eyes were the same colour as Matviyko's and they were piercing enough to decipher every lie I'd told my mother as a child. She wore a soft blue maxi dress that reached her ankles.

It was only until I'd successfully executed the curtsey that Queen Olena gave a small smile.

"The pleasure is all mine," King Miezko boomed, shaking my hand. Maybe I was a little too formal. "Lovely to meet some of the people that Cas associates with,"

Cas and I stumbled about.

"It's more of a partnership than anything," Cas corrected.

"I just help out where I'm needed," I said at the same time. We looked to one another at the same time, then away.

"Well," Queen Olena managed after a brief silence, "shall we sit?"

"Of course," Cas spoke.

"That'd be great," I said at the same time.

And that was pretty much how the dinner progressed. Cas and I slightly out of time. Sometimes stumbling on our words or catching one another's sentences. I gave a passionate testimony of the friends and family I'd lost. At one part I accidentally almost skirted close to almost traitorous words when going through the hurt that Ala and Alfred went through.

"And how are they now?" King Miezko's words were soft.

"I haven't heard from them in some time, your highness," I added hastily.

King Miezko took this in thoughtfully. Cas gave a passionate summary of what we'd learnt over the first part of the tour. That men were loosing their lives, and that families were growing weary.

"Sofia had a fantastic idea though," Cas spoke up after the seriousness had settled in. He explained my idea of bridging veteran returns and recognising the RVL as the appropriate organisation to best deal with returning veterans. He spoke passionately about the successes in other countries. How RVL branches were seen as an important part of society.

"How are you going to fund that?" Daryna's voice piped up. I tried not to feel annoyed. He was getting to that.

"We fund the first two or three years of development. A place to gather, for community, but also make sure that there's facilities to have gatherings. An area that can be rented out for parties or even for weddings. This way they can offset major running costs in the first few years and eventually re-invest back into their community,"

"That seems like a heavy, upfront expense," Ivan noted. Cas had 'the face' on again, his lips pressed in a slight unhappiness, "I get the bridging program but really? Throw a heap of money at some bars?"

"They'll pay for themselves after a few years," Cas insisted, "not only in money but in other areas as well,"

"So you get the veterans addicted to drinking and gambling instead of their depression," Ivan sneered, "once again, another expense,"

"No one said that gambling machines would be permitted," I did my best to interject quietly, we needed to win them over.

"You're not the one paying for it, are you?" Ivan shot a look at me, his voice dripping with scorn.

I gritted my teeth, seething, "I am a taxpaying member of society, so last time I remember I will be paying for it," I sat back, folding my fingers, "but if all you care about is numbers, I'd make the case that the suicides of our veterans is also a heavy expense," I blurted out, my words dripping with every ounce of venom I possessed. 

The room fell silent. Shoot, shoot, shoot. What am I doing? A part of me screamed, go back, abort, leave. Run home. Go, go, go! I took in a silent breath preparing myself.

Daryna had an eyebrow raised. Ivan's lips were pursed in an unhappy fashion. Katryna was looking at me with her eye wide and lips slightly parted. King Miezko's face was blank and Queen Olena had a cutthroat look in her eyes. I realised I was screwing up everything Cas and I had worked for. My father would be ashamed. My mother would be horrified of my candidness. I'd failed my family a thousand times over. My heart thrummed a million times a minute in my chest.

"I mean, I spent my childhood years playing by what the townspeople called the Chesno Forest," My voice trebled a little more than I would've liked. But fuelled by what Cas had told me earlier and the bitter-stained memories of my childhood, I forged on, "It was a beautiful place. People travelled from all over the country there. To do what? Admire the forest? No. They walked in there to die,"

I breathed out, mentally running some quick mathematics. Draw the zeroes, that cancels that out. Divide and roughly...

"Apolia suffers sixteen and a half thousand suicides a year. That's insane. That's more than twice the population of my hometown! The question that should be asked is not why it's such an upfront expense but why we continue to let this expense go on. And I know there's budgets to wrangle and people to convince but its worth it. No, its more than worth it,"

The table settled into a contemplative silence. I bit my lip, looking down. There goes every chance I have. I've brought dishonour on my family. I've brought dishonour on my cow. I wonder if they have a prison cell down below for speaking out of turn.

"Please excuse me," I whispered, pulling back from the table. Once standing, I turned to give the Queen and King a quick, bitter curtsey, "my apologies for speaking out of turn your Majesties," King Miezko's lounged in his chair, pressing his lips the same way that Cas did. Queen Olena had a regal but blank look upon her face.

And I turned away to exit. Something that Patricja would probably have my head for. Once I was in the hallway, I picked my speed up into a run.

What have I done? What have I done? I wanted to sob. My family had given me a chance and I'd quite royally screwed it in every way possible. Not only that, but I'd spat in the face of Cas and his family. I was a terrible guest, I was a terrible daughter and I was a terrible representative for my town.

I fell against the rail of the grand staircase. I wanted to cry. The fury burning within me evaporated every tear that was to fall. So I sat on the first step. My arms cold in the slight breeze that moved throughout the palace. 

I prepared myself for what would happen next; a shameful return home.

"Well that was pretty awesome," Cas spoke, walking up to me, a lopsided grin on his face.

"I'm expecting to be thrown into the dungeon any moment now," My words were flat.

"Eh," Cas chuckled, "maybe a public execution would be a bit better. Just make an example out of you,"

"You're terrible,"

"You roasted my family,"

"I surprisingly don't feel guilty about it," I bit my lip. A silence eased between us, "if I screwed anything up. I really am sorry but its-,"

"Hard when all they do is sit in their ivory towers? Yeah, I know," Cas sighed, offering me a hand, "though if anything, we've gotten their approval,"

"No way," My eyes narrowed, "are you serious?"

"Turns out that smacking down royalty might sometimes be effective,"

"You're kidding," I shook my head.

Cas' hand reached out, I took it. Suddenly, we were standing incredibly close to one another. So close, I could catch a whiff of whatever he was wearing. I blushed. Faint strains of the French music in the background echoed down the hallway. Cas hand set on my back and he raised the other. Soon enough, we were swaying in the relative silence.

"Though I probably don't recommend trying that option in the future," Cas spoke lowly. It was just the two of us, there was no reason to speak any louder.

"I'll try my best," I matched his tone, "I'm not normally, that... disorderly,"

"Disorderly, huh?" We were close, I noticed. Very close. I tried not to notice the electricity running through my fingertips or the buzz where his hand laid. Almost reluctant to leave, Cas spun me out, before quickly pulling me back in. The Royal Waltz. Something that every teen in Apolia knew by heart. I wanted to be in this moment forever. The coolness of the night. The scent of a hearty dinner. The stillness of an evening palace.

A door shut heavily behind us. Cas and I instantly pulled away. Daryna walked into the area.

"I'm sorry," She looked a little surprised, "did I interrupt something?"

"Nothing at all," Cas replied smoothly. I blinked, probably looking incredibly suspicious. Daryna gave a slow nod.

"I'll be off to bed then," Daryna gave that faintest of smiles before whisking past us, up the grand staircase.

Cas turned back to me. I knew the look in his eyes. A hint of regret, a slight longing. My chest twisted at the look.

"We best be parting ways," His words were a whisper, "but not for long, I'll see you again soon,"

I nodded, taking my first few steps up the staircase. Cas stood alone, even as I passed around the corner.

That night, I laid in bed. My hands haunted with the feeling of his skin on mine.

Stop entertaining such thoughts, a part of my hissed, sending me into a restless sleep.