The morning sun slanted through the high windows of Charlotte's solar, gilding the velvet drapes and catching in her unbound hair like strands of fire. She sat at her writing desk, quill poised, penning a thank-you letter to a baroness she despised.
A knock—sharp, deliberate.
Mira entered first, eyes narrowed. Elias followed, jaw set like stone.
Charlotte set the quill down.
No words were necessary. This was no morning courtesy.
Mira placed the charred ledger fragment on the desk and began signing swiftly:
Verified. Lord Harran Vellador ordered the ghostroot. Received via Thornbridge. And—
She hesitated.
They're targeting Eladin next.
The breath left Charlotte's lungs in a measured sigh. Her fingers folded the letter once, then smoothed it flat again.
Elias stepped forward, voice low and firm. "She heard it herself. They spoke of a second strike. Eladin's name was spoken. It wasn't a bluff."
Charlotte's eyes closed for a single heartbeat.
Her brother. Five years old. Still fumbling with wooden swords and chasing butterflies instead of ambitions. And now, the mark of House Vellador's malice.
She opened her eyes. They gleamed like steel beneath frost.
"Then they will never touch him."
She rose and walked to the window, gazing out at the gardens where Eladin liked to play. When she spoke, her voice was calm. Regal.
"We show no fear. If the court catches wind of a plot, Vellador will retreat, erase the trail. We need them confident. Bold. Predictable."
Elias crossed his arms. "What's your plan?"
She turned from the window. "We guard Eladin in the shadows. Double his watch—under the guise of new training. Post men loyal to us. No uniforms. No declarations. Just quiet reinforcement."
Mira signed:
And his schedule?
Charlotte nodded. "Change it. Tell his tutors he's unwell. Move him to the north wing—only three doors, two of which we control."
Mira's fingers moved again:
He'll notice. He'll ask questions.
Charlotte's voice caught—just slightly. "Then I'll lie."
She returned to her desk and reached for a fresh sheet of parchment.
"Tonight," she said, "I'll request a private supper. Just the two of us. Something simple. I'll tell him I've missed him. That I want to be closer. He'll believe me."
Elias took a step closer. "And if Vellador acts sooner?"
Charlotte met his gaze, calm and lethal.
"Then we'll be ready. The moment they move, I want Mira on them. I want every hand traced. Every name carved in ink."
She inhaled.
"And then we dismantle House Vellador. Quietly. Precisely. Like a queen."
Mira signed:
He'll be safe. We'll ensure it.
Charlotte gave a single nod. "No more toasts. No more traps. From now on—Eladin is a fortress."