"Be careful, Sher. They don't trust what they can't predict."
"When they feel threatened… they remove the threat."
Sher's brows lifted.
"…They?"
Her thoughts flickered. They.
Such a simple word—yet it sent a chill crawling up her spine.
She could feel the storm tucked behind that word.
A weight, heavy with intent.
Not just one person... but a system.
A silent council.
Watching. Waiting.
Ready to strike the moment she strayed from the role they had carved for her.
A disaster waiting to bloom.
---
She stepped back with a graceful twirl of her cloak.
As she left, Cassian stepped into the room from behind the curtain.
"…She didn't bite. I'm almost impressed," he said dryly.
He looked at Sher—expression unreadable. But something flickered there... respect, maybe. Or curiosity.
"Husband," Sher called, half-teasing. "She said I'm dangerous but interesting. Should I worry about my life?"
Cassian snorted softly—a real sound of amusement.
"That's the closest thing to a compliment you'll ever get from Elentra. If she thought you were truly a threat, she'd already have your maid poisoned and your wardrobe burned."
He walked toward her slowly, arms crossed.
"But yes... you should worry. Not because she'll kill you—yet—but because she's watching now."
He stopped in front of her, tilting his head.
"Elentra doesn't waste time on dull women.
She only circles what's worth hunting… or helping."
Then, after a beat—deadpan:
"…And you just became both."
---
Sher tilted her head.
"Husband, tell me about your wife...
Was she strong? Did she use people or get used?
Who were her enemies? Who were her friends?
And... do friends become enemies if she starts loving her family?"
Cassian stared at her.
The room fell quiet—so still, even the fire seemed to stop crackling.
His jaw tightened.
But it wasn't anger.
It was memory.
And something heavier.
"…My wife," he murmured.
---
"Yes, she was strong," he said slowly.
"Not the kind that fights with swords...
But the kind that never bent, even when she should've."
He walked toward the window, speaking without turning.
"She used people. Ruthlessly. Efficiently.
She had no patience for weakness—not in others, and not in herself."
"But she wasn't born like that. The nobility... her upbringing... made her that way.
Cold. Sharp. Untouchable."
He turned to face her now. His eyes were sharper.
"Her greatest enemy was vulnerability. Kindness.
Anything that made her feel exposed.
So she burned bridges before anyone could cross them."
"And yes—she had friends. Powerful ones."
His voice lowered.
"But they liked the version of her that didn't care about things like children. Or husbands. Or breakfast tables."
---
He walked closer again, voice even.
"If she truly started to love her family...
Her friends would call her weak.
And weakness, in this world, is something the wolves smell fast."
He stopped just in front of her.
"So yes. They would turn on her.
Not all at once. But quietly. Carefully.
Like snakes sliding back into the grass."
---
A pause.
"…Is that who you're trying to be now?" he asked softly.
"A woman who loves her family?"
Cassian stared at her.
The silence stretched—not heavy with judgment,
But weighted with something else...
Understanding, maybe.
Or regret.
"…He used to cry outside your door," he said after a while.
"I told him to stop. Said it wouldn't change anything.
But he kept coming back."
He looked away, jaw clenched, eyes fixed on the floor.
"And now... he smiles.
Because of you."
---
He lifted his head. And this time, when he looked at her—there was no coldness.
Just something tired and raw.
"I don't care who you are.
If you're not the Sher I married... good."
"But if you're going to be his mother now—really be her—
Then protect him from more than just the world."
His eyes hardened slightly.
"Protect him from the people who think love is a weakness."
He turned toward the door. Then paused.
"…And if you ever need protection yourself...
Don't wait until it's too late to ask me."
---
Sher blinked. Then said softly:
"You can ask me too...
I might not be much help...
But I can listen if you need someone to talk to."
Cassian stopped mid-step—almost disbelieving.
"…You'd listen to me?"
He opened the door. His voice was gentler now. Lacking its usual iron.
"Careful, Sher...
If you keep talking like this...
I might start believing you're someone worth trusting."
He stepped out.
This time... he left the door slightly open.
---
Scene: Palace Hallway – Morning
Sher walked with quiet confidence through the east corridor.
The Head Maid—a sharp-eyed older woman with tighter morals—hurried beside her.
"My Lady... forgive me, but... distributing coins to the entire staff like that and asking me to tell them you want to win their trust... it's—"
She lowered her voice.
"—unusual. Especially from you."
---
Sher stopped outside the servants' wing.
"They'll take it, yes," the Head Maid said cautiously. "But it'll cause talk."
Sher gave her answer.
The Head Maid hesitated... then nodded.
She turned and set the order in motion.
---
Scene: Servants' Quarters – Later That Day
The maids whispered as they counted the coins handed out by the steward.
Silver gleamed in their palms—something never given freely before.
"I heard she hit her head so hard, it knocked the hate out of her," a young maid whispered.
"More like knocked her brain out. She's smiling at children now," an older maid said.
"She said thank you to me yesterday... thank you! I nearly dropped the bread!" the kitchen girl added, wide-eyed.
They laughed. Not cruelly—just nervously.
Like something unnatural was happening.
And they didn't know which way it would turn.
---
Scene: Main Hall – The Next Day
Every maid, servant, and steward stood quietly, lined up before the grand staircase.
The hall buzzed with unease.
Then Sher appeared—dressed simply, but regally.
Her footsteps echoed as she descended, stopping at the center.
"Everyone is present, My Lady," the Head Maid announced.
Sher looked out at the crowd.
"You all already know why I give you this money, right?" she said.
"I'm not just giving you money.
I'm giving you my trust."
"If anyone thinks they are not trustworthy...
Return the money and leave the palace now."
She paused.
"I won't repeat this again."
A silence fell like frost.
"Does anyone want to leave?" she asked again, voice firm.
---
Whispers stirred.
"She's serious," someone murmured.
"I think she's watching all of us... she means it," said another.
One maid clutched her pouch. Another hesitated.
"No one wishes to leave, Duchess," the Head Maid confirmed.
Sher nodded.
"After what I'm going to say, there might be a few who'll change their minds."
Her eyes swept over them.
"If I ever find poison in food... or any burning wardrobe in this palace..."
"The culprit will be considered untrustworthy."
"And after her death, her family will have to repay the money... with interest."
"Still want to stay?
Think carefully."
---
The hall froze.
"I-I wish to leave, My Lady..." one older maid stammered.
"I... I don't want to live in fear. I'm sorry," the young kitchen maid said tearfully.
Two more stepped forward.
"Leave with dignity," the Head Maid said sternly.
"Say nothing on your way out.
The Duchess has already shown mercy."
Then—
"If you're protecting the palace and your son like this... I'll stay," said a tall maid firmly.
"Even if it means walking through fire."
One by one, the others nodded.
The mood shifted.
"The rats have left, My Lady," the Head Maid said.
"What remains are those willing to serve."
Sher nodded slowly.
"Good. Now... I want you to trust me, too."
"If anyone threatens your family—come to me."
---
"There must be a reason you came to the palace for work," she continued.
"Some for your parents.
Some for your children.
Some for your husbands."
"To me, you are all strong.
You bear hardship for your families."
"You are as strong as any soldier on a battlefield."
"Work here with pride—as women who protect their own."
"There is no one stronger than a woman who loves her family."
"Let's protect our families... together."
---
A wave of emotion passed through the hall.
Some wiped tears.
Others stood straighter.
"…They will follow you now," the Head Maid whispered.
"Truly."
From the shadows, Cassian watched.
"…You're not building a home," he murmured to himself.
"You're building an army."
---
Scene: Private Study – Late Evening
Cassian stood by the moonlit window.
Sher entered silently.
"…That speech wasn't for the servants," Cassian said without turning.
"It was for the palace. For the snakes.
You gave them something dangerous—faith."
"Keep going like this... and they might just start following you for real."
Sher met his gaze.
"They follow me—great," she said.
"But what about you?"
"Are you still going to watch from the sidelines...
Or walk beside me?"
Cassian was quiet.
"I've spent years alone," he said at last.
"Standing beside someone m
eans being seen.
Means being responsible for more than your own shadow."
"So it's a no, then," Sher said. "Good night."
"…It's not a no," Cassian said, almost too softly.
"I just don't know how."
Sher paused by the door.
"It's okay," she said quietly.
"I'll ask you the same question again... when you find out how."
She left.
Cassian watched the door long after it closed.