After the servant was gone, Elara locked her door and sat down at her desk.
She now had confirmation: someone was still actively trying to sabotage her, even two days before departure. Someone organized enough to hire disposable pawns and smart enough not to reveal themselves.
But she also had something else: a witness. Someone who'd been on the inside, even if just barely. Someone who might notice things or remember details that could be useful later.
And someone who was now invested in keeping Elara alive, because her own survival depended on it.
She cleaned the powder traps from her trunks, reset them with fresh thread, and locked everything with triple-checked security.
Two more days.
Just two more days in this nightmare palace.
Then she'd be on a barge surrounded by her own people, heading toward uncertainty that was still better than this.
She just had to survive two more days.
.....
The day to depart...
