The warmth of the sunroom clung to Charlotte as she descended the stone halls, but when she reached the war room, the air was cold and biting—biting like the calculations that would take place tonight.
She had secured Eladin's safety—at least for now. But the threats to the kingdom had deepened, and every move she made would have to be deliberate, precise, and unseen.
The heavy oak door creaked open as she stepped into the war room, her mind already turning inward, the warm glow of her little brother's innocent laughter slipping away. Her most trusted allies were already present, seated in the dim light, where only the flickering glow of candles cast shadows across the maps of the kingdom and the defense plans spread before them.
Elias stood by the back wall, arms crossed, his face as serious as ever. Mira sat in the corner, quietly drawing something, her eyes flicking up when Charlotte entered. Amelia, at her desk sifting through reports, looked up at the sound of the door and straightened immediately, sensing the gravity of Charlotte's arrival.
No words were needed—the tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to be felt without uttering a single syllable.
Charlotte broke the silence, her voice low but firm.
"Do we have enough to act?"
Elias's eyes didn't leave hers. "We've confirmed it's Vellador orchestrating the assassination attempt. They're trying to destabilize the kingdom by discrediting you, to make it seem as though the curse of your ascension is real."
Amelia nodded. "The poisoning was just the first step. They're playing a long game. But they're disorganized. They don't understand the full strength of your support." She met Charlotte's gaze, her eyes sharp. "And they don't yet know the lengths we'll go to protect what's ours."
Charlotte's fingers traced the edges of the map, lingering on the kingdom's borders and the shifting allegiances within the council. "And Eladin?" Her voice was steady but cold.
Amelia hesitated, her gaze moving toward Elias, who had been studying the reports with an intensity that only deepened as Charlotte's words rang out in the room.
"I won't let them see him as a weakness," Charlotte pressed. "He's not old enough for the throne, but we both know how they'll spin it. How they'll exploit his innocence."
Mira's hand caught their attention, moving quickly in the air, signaling urgency. Her fingers traced over the map, stopping at a place near the castle gates—marked with a red X.
"They've been closing in," Mira signed, her hands sharp and deliberate.
Charlotte nodded. "Then we act before they do."
"What's the plan?" Elias asked, his voice quieter now, his focus absolute. They were beyond casual discussions; this was the inner circle, where every word carried weight.
Charlotte's eyes hardened as she anticipated their next moves, as though the kingdom itself were a game of chess. Every choice, every action, carried its own price.
"We'll feed the rumors they've sown," she said coldly, her voice clear and unyielding. "Let them believe the kingdom is falling apart, that Eladin is the next target. Let them think they can strike now and discredit the throne. I'll pretend to step down to shield him."
Her gaze locked on each of them. "But in reality, they'll walk straight into our trap."
Elias raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite himself. "And what's the trap?"
Charlotte's smile was calculating. "We'll move our most lethal pieces into position. We'll take Eladin, quietly, without anyone suspecting. Only those who must know will know. I won't let them harm him—but the public will see how precarious our position is, and they'll start looking for the real threat. We'll make it look like Vellador is the source."
Amelia's eyes sparkled with approval. "And we'll have enough leverage to keep them from trying again?"
"Exactly," Charlotte said, a cold smile curling at the corner of her mouth. "We'll make them believe we're weak—when we're not. And when they come for Eladin or me, we'll expose them in public. The world will know who the true enemy is."
Mira signed again, her movements deliberate, a question in her eyes.
"Is that truly your desire?" she signed, her hands slow and measured. "To put his safety on the line for a show?"
Charlotte didn't flinch. "I'll risk everything to protect him."
Her voice softened, but only just. "I promised him a future free of this—free of these burdens. But if they come for him, they'll have to go through me first. And they won't leave with a single piece of their plan intact."
The silence that followed was thick with understanding. Elias nodded curtly, his resolve mirroring Charlotte's.
"Then we plan," he said simply. "And we wait."
Charlotte's eyes lingered on the map for a moment longer, her mind already racing through the steps ahead. The kingdom, her brother, the throne—everything depended on the actions she would take next.
She would keep them both safe. No matter the cost.