Character Analysis
Lissa's gawky, naïve cousin doesn't seem to care much about rolling with the other royals, but she sure knows something is up with Lissa. It's easy to write Natalie off just like Rose does, because she doesn't live the royal lifestyle like the other Morois at the school… but that would be a mistake.
In fact, both Lissa and Rose are completely blindsided by the fact that Natalie is working with her father against Lissa. When Victor spills the beans that it was his daughter acting as his sly co-conspirator the entire time, Rose has to re-think everything. The way he tells it, it was easy: "Natalie had simply waited for a good opportunity" (23.22).
What's more is that Natalie caught on to (1) the budding romance between Dimitri and Rose, and (2) the way to bring Lissa down—once and for all—by hurting Rose. It turns out Natalie is not so naïve and innocent after all.
Rose and Lissa's miscalculations about Natalie are probably at least partially the result of the fact that they are still growing up and learning whom to trust. We also think that Natalie is one sly fox, though. Well, maybe not a fox, considering what she did to the one she left on Lissa's pillow.