Lucien's door swung open, and he stood there, his expression already sharp with concern. He must have sensed the urgency in her knock.
"Seraphine," he greeted, his tone wary. "What's wrong?"
Without preamble, Seraphine stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "Lucien, something's not right. I've just spoken to Arin—she overheard the soldiers talking. They suspect the envoy is walking into a trap. And Ronan—he might not be who we think he is."
Lucien's face darkened, his eyes narrowing into slits. "A trap? What exactly did she say?"
"She said that the rebels may be planning something far more dangerous, and Ronan might be leading them right to us." Seraphine's pulse quickened as she relayed the information, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lucien's jaw clenched, and he turned sharply toward the window, his hands gripping the sill as he stared into the night. "Ronan was a calculated risk," he said after a tense silence. "I had my suspicions, but I couldn't ignore the possibility that he could help us reach the rebels without bloodshed. Now, if this is true…"
Seraphine stepped closer, feeling the weight of his inner turmoil. "We need to stop him before it's too late. If the rebels are planning an ambush, we can't let the envoy walk into it."
Lucien's gaze flicked toward her, and she saw the storm brewing in his eyes. "I won't lose more men to deceit. If Ronan has betrayed us…" His voice trailed off, the threat unspoken but palpable.
"What do we do?" Seraphine asked, her heart pounding with both fear and determination.
Lucien pushed away from the window and strode to his desk, pulling out a map of the kingdom and spreading it across the table. "We'll send riders after the envoy, but it's likely too late to catch them before they reach the rebel camp. If Ronan is leading them into a trap, we need to prepare our defenses immediately."
He pointed to the northern borders on the map. "This is where the rebels are most concentrated. If they're planning an attack, it will likely come from here. We'll reinforce the garrisons along these routes and send scouts to track the envoy's movements. If Ronan's betrayal is real, I won't let him slip through our fingers."
Seraphine nodded, her mind racing to keep up. "And what about the people? We've just started trying to win them over with the idea of peace. If this turns into open conflict again—"
"I know," Lucien cut in, his voice tight with frustration. "That's what makes this so dangerous. If the people think we're failing, if they believe we can't protect them, the rebels will gain more support. But we have no choice now. We have to act."
Seraphine felt a pang of sympathy for him. The burden of leadership was crushing, and she could see how much it weighed on him. But beneath the anger and fear, she also saw his resilience—his refusal to give in to despair. It was that strength that had kept the kingdom together for so long, and she knew it would be tested even further in the days to come.
"I'll help however I can," she said quietly, stepping closer to him. "You don't have to do this alone."
Lucien met her gaze, something softening in his eyes. "You've already done more than you know, Seraphine." His voice was low, almost vulnerable. "I haven't trusted anyone in a long time. But you—" He stopped himself, as if realizing he had said too much.
Seraphine's heart quickened, the connection between them palpable in the silence that followed. But before either of them could speak, a knock at the door interrupted the moment.
One of Lucien's guards entered, his face grim. "Your Majesty, urgent news. We've spotted rebel scouts near the western woods. It's unclear how many, but they appear to be monitoring our defenses."
Lucien's expression hardened immediately. "They're testing us," he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. "Gather the council. We need to act swiftly."
The guard nodded and disappeared as quickly as he'd come.
Seraphine turned to Lucien, worry gnawing at her. "This could be the beginning of their attack."
Lucien nodded grimly. "It's a warning. They want us to know they're watching—and that they're ready to strike."
---
As the castle erupted into activity, Seraphine found herself caught in the whirlwind of preparations. Soldiers rushed through the halls, gathering arms and supplies, while couriers rode out in every direction to deliver messages and instructions to the far reaches of the kingdom. The tension in the air was palpable—everyone knew that the calm before the storm was quickly evaporating.
Seraphine returned to her chambers, needing a moment to gather her thoughts. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something—that there was another layer to this betrayal that hadn't yet been revealed. Ronan had seemed so confident, so sure of his mission. Was he really leading them into a trap? Or was there something else driving him?
A knock at her door pulled her from her thoughts. Arin entered, looking more nervous than ever.
"Lady Seraphine," she whispered, glancing around as though afraid of being overheard. "I've been thinking about what I overheard, and there's something I didn't mention before."
Seraphine frowned. "What is it, Arin?"
"I overheard some of the soldiers mentioning… a spy in the castle." Arin's voice trembled slightly. "They said someone close to the king might be working with the rebels."
Seraphine's blood ran cold. "A spy? Who?"
"I don't know," Arin replied quickly, shaking her head. "But they seemed certain. They said that's why the rebels have been able to move so quickly, and why Ronan's mission might be compromised."
A thousand thoughts raced through Seraphine's mind. If there was a spy within the castle, then everything they had planned could be in jeopardy. The rebels would know their every move before they even made it.
"Thank you, Arin," Seraphine said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her. "You've done the right thing by telling me."
As Arin left, Seraphine paced the room, her heart hammering. She needed to warn Lucien, but she also needed to be careful. If there really was a spy, then they could be watching her every move.
She made her way back toward Lucien's chamber, her mind racing. The weight of the danger they were in pressed down on her like a heavy cloak. Betrayal was lurking in the shadows, and she couldn't shake the feeling that it was far closer than anyone realized.
When she reached Lucien's door, she hesitated for only a moment before knocking. As the door creaked open and Lucien's familiar face appeared, she knew that what she was about to reveal could change everything.
"Lucien," she began, her voice tight with urgency. "There's something you need to know."