Far away in Viremont, Lord Eryndor Voss smiled.
The smile came easily now.
He stood in a private chamber lined with red-veined marble, fingers tracing the rim of a goblet he had no intention of drinking from.
"The first shipment passed without issue," a cloaked messenger said, kneeling. "The palace suspects nothing."
Eryndor's eyes gleamed. "Excellent."
"And the king?"
"Still in council."
Eryndor laughed softly. "He always was too fond of diplomacy."
He turned to the shadows. "Prepare the second phase. Once the palace destabilizes, the Elders will demand intervention."
"And if Lucien resists?"
Eryndor's smile sharpened. "Then we call it failure of leadership."
---
Lucien felt it then.
The unease that had followed him since leaving the palace sharpened into something unmistakable.
Rage.
He rose abruptly from the council table, the sound cutting through the hall like a blade.
"This meeting is concluded," he said coldly.
Malrec scowled. "We were not finished—"
"I am," Lucien replied.
The temperature in the hall dropped. Even the Elders fell silent.
Seraphyne watched him carefully as he turned and left. "You're returning early," she observed, catching up with him in the corridor.
"Yes."
Her lips curved. "You sense betrayal."
"I smell it," Lucien said. "And it's coming from my own halls."
Seraphyne tilted her head. "Then perhaps you should move faster."
Lucien's eyes flashed. "I intend to."
---
The palace gates burst open just before dawn.
Lucien's carriage did not slow.
Servants froze. Guards dropped to one knee in shock.
The king stepped down before the carriage had fully stopped, his cloak snapping violently behind him.
"Seal the gates," he ordered. "Now."
Alfred appeared instantly. "My king—"
"Who authorized prisoner transport in my absence?" Lucien demanded.
Rowan's expression hardened. "No such orders were recorded."
Lucien's jaw clenched.
"Bring me the guard captains. Immediately."
---
Aria was scrubbing a hallway when the palace seemed to shift.
The air changed. The silence thickened.
Mirelle rushed toward her, eyes wide. "He's back."
Aria froze. "The king?"
"Yes...and he's furious."
Before Aria could respond, a shadow fell over them.
Lucien stood at the end of the corridor, crimson eyes scanning the servants like a blade drawn slowly across skin.
His gaze stopped on Aria.
Just for a moment.
Something unreadable passed between them.
"Bring her," he said quietly.
The command echoed louder than a shout.
Aria's heart thundered as a guard stepped forward.
Lucien turned away, already moving, his voice carrying back down the corridor.
"It seems," he said coldly, "my palace has forgotten who it belongs to."
And Aria knew without question that whatever she had uncovered was about to drag her straight into the center of the storm.
The doors to the council chamber closed behind Aria with a final, echoing thud.
The room was colder than the rest of the palace, its walls carved with ancient sigils that shimmered faintly under torchlight. Lucien stood at the center, hands clasped behind his back. Around him were the guard captains, Rowan and three noble advisors whose faces were carefully neutral.
Aria felt very small.
"You were seen near the watch gallery last night," Lucien said, not turning to face her. "Explain."
Aria lowered her head. "I was assigned to clean the upper corridors, my king."
"That is not an answer," he replied calmly.
Her heart raced, but she forced her voice steady. "I saw carriages leaving the palace. Unmarked. Guarded. I saw chains inside one of them."
That earned her Lucien's full attention.
He turned slowly, crimson eyes sharp. "How many?"
"At least three," Aria said. "Possibly more."
A murmur rippled through the room.
Lucien's gaze shifted to the guard captains. "No transport orders were issued. Which means someone forged authority."
One of the advisors cleared his throat. "Forged orders can be convincing, my king."
"Yes," Lucien said coldly. "But forged loyalty is easier to spot."
His eyes landed on Lord Cassimir Rhane, a nobleman draped in fine velvet, known for his impeccable manners and generous donations to the palace.
Cassimir smiled faintly. "Surely you're not suggesting—"
"I am," Lucien interrupted.
The temperature dropped.
"You authorized those transports using my seal," Lucien continued. "You rerouted guards loyal to you. And you did it during my absence."
Cassimir's smile cracked. "You have no proof."
Lucien looked at Aria. "You were near the lower levels before, weren't you?"
She hesitated only a second. "Yes, my king."
Cassimir's eyes snapped to her. "A servant's word means nothing."
Lucien stepped closer to Cassimir, his voice low and deadly calm. "A servant with nothing to gain rarely lies."
Cassimir backed away instinctively.
"Bind him," Lucien ordered.
Guards moved instantly.
Cassimir shouted as they seized him. "You think this ends with me? The Elders—Eryndor—he—"
Lucien's fist slammed into the stone table, cracking it.
"Take him to the dungeons," he snarled. "Alive."
The doors closed behind Cassimir's screams.
Silence followed.
Lucien turned back to Aria.
"You," he said. "Stay."
Her stomach dropped.