Cassie burst into Theodoric’s study, the heavy oak door slamming against the wall. Her breaths came sharp and fast, the sprint through the palace leaving a sheen of sweat on her brow. Theodoric looked up from a map spread across his desk, his expression darkening at the sight of her.

  “What happened?” he demanded, the clipped edge to his voice betraying his growing impatience with the chaos unraveling around him.

  “There’s no time,” Cassie said, shoving the door shut behind her. “They’re going to destroy the wards tonight. If they fall, the monsters—”

  “—will overrun the capital,” he finished, standing abruptly. His hand pressed against the desk’s surface as if steadying himself. “Damn them.”

  The words were quiet, but the fury behind them was palpable.

  “They’re meeting in secret. I overheard enough to know this isn’t just sabotage. They’re coordinated—someone powerful is pulling the strings.”

  Theodoric’s gaze flicked to the map, then back to her, calculating. “Do you know who?”

  “Not yet,” Cassie admitted, though the frustration in her voice was impossible to hide. “But the conspirators don’t operate this freely without someone close to you shielding them.”

  His jaw tightened. For a moment, silence filled the room, broken only by the muffled hum of palace activity beyond the door.

  “If the wards fall tonight,” Theodoric said finally, his tone grim, “the kingdom won’t have time to recover. It’s not just the capital at stake—it’s the land itself. Find the mastermind behind this.”

  He didn’t wait for her response, already turning back to the map. The dismissal was clear, but Cassie didn’t take it personally. His burdens weighed heavier with each passing moment.

  She nodded once and slipped back into the hallway, her mind already racing.

  Cassie moved through the palace corridors with purpose, though her thoughts churned in restless circles. The weight of Theodoric’s command pressed heavily on her, sharpening her focus but leaving little room for error. Every conversation, every suspicious glance she had caught over the past weeks suddenly clicked into a maddeningly incomplete picture.

  One thread, however, stood out among the chaos—a name whispered in hushed tones, spoken with caution but never directly accused. Lady Esther. The Crown Prince’s fiancée had become a ghost within the court, her absence from the hunt and subsequent retreat to her chambers draped in a veil of mystery.

  What sickness could keep her from her duties, yet allow her shadow to linger in every whispered conspiracy? Cassie clenched her fists as she reached the end of the hall. If Lady Esther was truly the key to unraveling this, Cassie couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

  Cassie didn’t knock this time. The door to Lady Esther’s chambers opened with a soft creak under her hand, and she stepped inside, her steps deliberate.

  The air in the room was fragrant with lavender and faintly bitter herbs. Lady Esther stood by a tall mirror, her reflection illuminated by the soft glow of a nearby oil lamp. Her dark hair, pinned back with jeweled combs, shimmered like polished obsidian. Her gown, a cascade of crimson silk, pooled around her feet, accentuating the statuesque confidence of her posture.

  “You.” Esther’s voice carried a faint edge, each syllable sharp and clipped. Her eyes met Cassie’s in the mirror, one brow arching in cool amusement. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this... intrusion?”

  Cassie held her ground. “I came for answers.”

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  Esther turned slowly, her movements measured and deliberate, as though granting her attention was a favor. The faint smirk that played on her lips didn’t reach her eyes. “How bold of you,” she said, her tone laced with mockery. “Do you speak to all your betters with such insolence, or is this a special occasion?”

  “You’re no better than anyone,” Cassie shot back, her voice steady. “You’ve been meeting with the Velkan Consortium. You’ve been working against the Crown Prince.”

  Esther’s laughter was soft, almost musical, but it carried an unmistakable note of derision. She moved closer, her gaze sweeping Cassie up and down like she was appraising a stubborn stain on an otherwise pristine gown.

  “Is that what you think?” Esther asked, tilting her head slightly. “That I, a woman drowning in the absurd expectations of this court, have the time or inclination to scheme against my dear betrothed?”

  “I don’t think it—I know it.” Cassie stepped forward, pulling the folded letters from her pouch. “Your name. Your signature. Correspondence with traitors.”

  Esther glanced at the papers but made no move to take them. Instead, her expression shifted—subtle, calculating.

  “Interesting,” she said softly. “And what does Theodoric think of your little discovery? Or have you not told him yet? Let me guess—no proof, only suspicions.”

  Cassie’s jaw tightened. “Stop deflecting. I’m giving you a chance to explain yourself.”

  Esther’s expression hardened, the air in the room suddenly colder. “Explain myself?” she echoed, her tone a blade. “To a servant? You overstep.”

  “Don’t pretend you’re untouchable,” Cassie retorted, her voice rising. “You’ve been working behind everyone’s back, playing your little games. But it ends now.”

  Esther’s lips curled into a smile, sharp and venomous. “Oh, you think you’ve caught me, don’t you? That you’ve unraveled the great mystery of Lady Esther?” She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a near-whisper. “Do you even understand who you’re dealing with?”

  Cassie didn’t flinch. Her grip on her dagger tightened, though she hadn’t drawn it—yet.

  “I know enough,” she said.

  Esther’s smile widened, but it was devoid of warmth. “Poor, naive Cassie. Let me make something very clear.” She leaned in, her voice cold as winter steel. “Lady Esther doesn’t exist. Not anymore.”

  Cassie froze, her blood turning to ice.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Esther stepped back, her gaze gleaming with something dark and triumphant. “The real Esther was a soft, simpering fool—a perfect doll for this court to parade. Sweet, obedient, and utterly forgettable.” Her tone dripped with disdain. “She never would have survived this palace. But I did.”

  “You killed her.” Cassie’s voice was barely above a whisper.

  “I replaced her,” Esther corrected, her tone as smooth as silk. “And I’ve done it so well that no one—not Theodoric, not his fawning nobles—has even noticed. Do you know how satisfying it is, to play this court like a lyre? To watch them scramble to please me, oblivious to what I truly am?”

  “You’re a traitor,” Cassie said, her voice hard.

  Esther laughed again, this time louder, more biting. “I’m a survivor. And I’m far more than you could ever comprehend.”

  Cassie’s hand twitched toward her dagger, but Esther noticed. “Ah, ah,” she chided, her tone light and mocking. “What would you do with that? Kill me? It won’t undo what’s already been set in motion.”

  “What’s your endgame?” Cassie demanded, her voice sharp.

  Esther's smile wavered briefly before her eyes hardened. “This kingdom is a rotting carcass clinging to its illusions of power. Magic has made its rulers complacent, blind to the world crumbling around them. I’m simply hastening the inevitable.”

  “You’re working for the Velkan Consortium,” Cassie pressed.

  “Working for them?” Esther’s laugh was cutting. “No. I use them, just as I use everyone. They’re pawns, Cassie. Just like you.”

  Before Cassie could respond, Esther’s hand darted toward a hidden button near the wall. The soft click of a mechanism followed, and the door to the chamber burst open as armored guards flooded in.

  Cassie moved instantly, her dagger flashing as the first guard lunged. She sidestepped, slashing across his arm before spinning to parry another strike. The clash of steel filled the air, but the odds were stacked against her.

  Esther stood back, watching the chaos unfold with a faint smirk. “Did you think you could stop me alone?”

  Cassie gritted her teeth, fighting off another guard as she backed toward the door. A blade grazed her side, the pain searing, but she didn’t let it slow her.

  “I told you,” Esther said, her voice cold and final. “You’re clever, but not clever enough. This kingdom is already ours.”

  Cassie didn’t respond. With one last desperate strike, she broke through the guards and bolted into the hallway, blood dripping from her wound. Esther’s mocking laughter echoed behind her, chasing her into the shadows.

  Her breaths came ragged as she stumbled down the corridor, her vision swimming. Each step felt heavier, her strength ebbing with every heartbeat.

  When her knees finally buckled, she crumpled against the cold stone floor. Footsteps approached, distant but growing closer.

  The world dimmed around her as the night closed in.