“Right,” Alina nodded. She thought for a moment, watching the clouds above them, sipping her kvas.
“You should go to at least a few dinners or balls,” she mused quite seriously. “If I accompany you, you’ll have a very public demonstration of my support for you. And they can only help whatever you do in back room deals.” If there was one thing Alina had learned from the Tsaritsa, it was court politics.