Dancing with Kaliantha.
Ulrich had considered every way he might persuade the Queen to accept.
None of them ended well.
Removing Antonias from the ceremony was one problem. Convincing Kaliantha to dance with him afterward was another entirely.
If the King remained absent, Kaliantha would likely ask Albert to take Camellia's hand instead. The royal family would preserve the appearance of the tradition: the Crown Prince dancing with his younger sister while the Queen remained near the dais.
Kaliantha would not leave the celebration merely because her husband had disappeared.
Not when Camellia was about to give her coming-of-age speech.
Not when every major noble house in Skargardia watched.
Not when Antonias's absence would already create enough whispers.
Ulrich and Kaliantha had built a functional relationship during the last two years. They were allies.
That did not mean she would agree to dance with him.
