Ethan inclined his head slightly. "Lady Audrey."

She returned the greeting with a small nod, then briefly moved her gaze away from him to Isabella.

She took her in with a slow, appraising glance, until her eyes settled on the bracelet on her wrist. Then she smiled before lifting her gaze again.

"My dear," Audrey said gently, "may I know your name?"

Due to the mask and the fact that Isabella wasn’t the most popular of her siblings, the Matriarch couldn’t recognize her immediately.

The Princess spoke calmly. "My name is Isabella, daughter of King Tudor."

"Ah... it is a pleasure, Your Highness." She inclined her head just a bit. "I see you arrived with Mr. Ethan."

"Yes," Isabella replied simply.

Audrey’s gaze swept across Ethan, Isabella, and the presence of the Heydrich vampires nearby. Then she returned her attention to Ethan.

"Would you mind if I borrowed Mr. Ethan for a moment?"

Isabella glanced toward him who gave her a subtle nod.

With that, Audrey turned, and Ethan followed as she led him through the gathering. The crowd parted naturally around her presence, without needing to be asked.

And eyes followed them both as they moved, but no one spoke.

Audrey led him through a wide archway and into a smaller adjoining room. It was quiet here. The space was lined with bookshelves, with a few chairs arranged near a fireplace.

A servant stood near the door, but Audrey dismissed him with a single glance.

The door closed behind them as Audrey moved toward one of the chairs, gesturing toward another. "Please, have a seat Mr. stark."

Ethan remained standing for a moment as his first thought was drawn to how unnaturally quiet the room was. Even with his enhanced hearing, he couldn’t pick up a single sound from beyond its walls.

He assumed the silence worked both ways, but then he pushed the thought aside and took the seat across from her.

Audrey settled into her own chair. "So," she began in a light tone. "How do you find the evening?"

Ethan’s response was simple. "It’s well put together."

Audrey smiled. "I’m glad to hear it. I must admit, I do not host often anymore. But when I do, I prefer to do it properly."

She paused, her gaze never leaving his.

"I understand that Stark Industries was involved in a case with my grandson," she said. "Before his... exposure and subsequent arrest."

Ethan gave a subtle nod. "Yes."

Audrey continued. "Edgar made his choices. He was foolish, reckless. And he has paid the price for it."

Her tone carried no bitterness nor no grief. She sounded detached to the whole thing.

"He believed himself untouchable," she continued. "And that belief led him to act without caution. Without respect for the consequences." She exhaled. "Such arrogance rarely ends well."

Ethan said nothing, watching her carefully.

Audrey’s gaze drifted toward the fireplace for a moment. "Tell me, Mr. Stark," she continued. "Do you believe our country is in a good state?"

Ethan didn’t answer immediately.

Audrey smiled, as though she had expected his silence.

"It’s a simple question," she went on. "But perhaps not one with a simple answer."

She looked back at him. "Gritnia has been stable for many years. Prosperous, even. But tell me, Mr. Stark, has anything truly changed? Or have we simply been maintaining what was built generations ago?"

"There are those who believe that what we have is enough. That preserving what has been built is the greatest service one can offer."

Her tone remained calm. "And then there are those who believe that without change, without evolution, even the strongest foundation will eventually crumble."

Ethan still remained without words.

Audrey continued. "Change is inevitable. It comes whether we invite it or not... So the question is not whether it will arrive, but whether we will be ready for it when it does."

She paused, letting the words settle.

"And those who are ready," she added, "are the ones who will determine what shape that change takes."

Ethan studied her for a long moment before asking, "if the system still serves, why bother with changing it? Is there a need to fix what isn’t broken?"

She smiled. "You are young, Mr. Stark. But you are not naive. You have already demonstrated that you understand the truth of change better than most."

"Take for instance your new line of aircraft. The airplane, is it?"

There was a brief pause before she added, "You pushed Stark Industries to develop something that operates on a fundamentally different principle, not just an upgraded airship. Correct me if I am wrong."

Ethan said nothing in reply to that. She wasn’t totally wrong there.

Right now, she held his gaze while speaking, "You have already shown that you are someone who seeks change, Mr. Stark. But understand this—those who seek change, those who disrupt the old order, inevitably become enemies of the establishment."

Her tone remained calm. "You may have acted with their approval this time, but do not mistake convenience for loyalty."

"They allowed you to strike at my grandson because it served their purposes. But the moment you become inconvenient, the moment you threaten their hold on power, they will turn on you just as swiftly."

"Which is why I believe you will find yourself at a crossroads soon. A moment where you will need to decide which side you are on, and I hope you’ll choose the right one."

Ethan’s expression didn’t change, but something in the air between them had.

"And what side would that be?" he asked.

Audrey’ smiled. "The side that recognizes when the old order has outlived its usefulness. The side that understands that capable individuals should not be held back by those who lack vision."

She paused.

"When the time comes, and it will, you will need to choose where you stand. And I hope, for your sake, that you choose wisely."

There was this brief silence that was only broken by the sound of Ethan’s smile.

"There’s no decision to make, because I already know where I stand....It’s House Stark. It always has been."

"I see" she said, that smile still on her face.

After then, Ethan rose gracefully from her chair.

"Thank you for indulging me, Mr. Stark, hope you continue to enjoy the evening."

Ethan inclined his head slightly, then turned and walked toward the door.

—-

A/N: I hit rate limit with image generation on the app I use, which is why I only got Isabella’s picture art for now😭