Kyran stepped to Caspian's side, his stance guarded. "Hiding your face with a mask to start makes it seem as if you don't trust us, miss."
The woman let out a soft chuckle. "Trust is a luxury, Chancellor Kyran. One neither of us can afford."
Elara frowned, peeking around Caspian to see better. "Then why agree to this meeting at all? What do you want?"
The woman's head tilted slightly, as if studying her. "What I want," she said slowly, "is to ensure that the truth is known. My organization had no hand in the attempts on your life, Miss Elara."
"Convenient," Caspian said dryly. "You expect us to take your word for it?"
"I expect you to listen," the woman replied sharply. "We've been investigating the attacks as thoroughly as your chancellor has, and we've uncovered... troubling information."
Kyran crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. "Go on."
The woman gestured to a small satchel at her side. She moved slowly, so as not to startle anyone, and pulled out a bundle of documents, holding them out for Caspian to take. "These are records we recovered from a broker in the capital. Payment ledgers, correspondences—all pointing to a noble house using our name to mask their involvement."
Caspian took the documents, flipping through them quickly before passing them to Kyran. "Which house?"
The woman hesitated, her hands curling into fists at her sides. "That, we haven't confirmed yet. But the patterns suggest someone within the court. Someone with the resources and connections to forge our insignia and orchestrate such a scheme."
"Do you expect us to believe you're innocent just because you say so?" Elara asked, her tone more accusatory than she intended.
The woman's gaze snapped to her, the mask making her unreadable. "I don't expect anything from you, Miss Elara. But consider this: if we wanted you dead, we wouldn't fail."
The air seemed to grow colder at her words, but Elara refused to flinch. Caspian's hand tightened on his sword, but he didn't draw it. She was right, and Elara knew it.
"Why choose to meet with us?" Caspian asked, his voice sharp. "You run an intelligence guild, such information is better served in the hands of your guild where it can be sold to a member of the court while you take care of the culprit behind the scenes. There's no real need for you to come to us."
The woman let out a bitter laugh. "I beg to differ, Your Grace. I told you, the person trying to assassinate your lover is a noble of the court, meaning they have more connections than even I. Most likely, they can call on the king and queen for help if need be. If they should learn I have their information, they'd use this as an excuse to wipe us out. They already seem to have it out for us, as they're pretending to be us despite the fact we're a small guild. Between us and you, you're the only one with enough power and influence to act as you wish."
Caspian's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
The woman stepped back, her posture still tense. "I've done my part. Take the documents. Use them to find the truth, if you're so inclined. But know this: if we uncover the culprit before you do, our justice will not be merciful."
With that, she turned and melted into the shadows, leaving them alone in the grove. Elara stared after her, her mind speeding away a mile a minute.
"Well," Kyran said after a long moment, breaking the silence. "That was... unsettling."
Caspian's gaze lingered on the documents in his hand, his expression grim. "We'll see if her information is worth anything. For now, we need to return before anyone notices we're gone."
Elara nodded, but her thoughts were far from settled. It had been clear to her since the first attempt on her life had been made that the Sons of Lyrel weren't involved. Like the leader of their guild had chillingly said, if they'd wanted her dead, she would be. But whoever was behind the attacks on her life was still out there—and they weren't done yet.
⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂☆
The suns were beginning its descent on the fifth day of Valtren's Bounty Hunt, casting the hunting grounds in hues of gold and amber. The past three days had passed without a single significant incident. If not for the lingering weight of the Centaur attack and the knight's attempt on her life, Elara might have dared to believe things were returning to normal—or as normal as they could be in a world of court intrigue and deadly monsters.
Caspian had won the third, fourth, and fifth days of the Hunt with the kind of efficiency that left even the Queen's most loyal supporters quietly impressed. He barely acknowledged the accolades, brushing off any compliments with his usual stoic demeanor. Elara had been watching him closely, not just during the Hunt but in the quieter moments between. His focus seemed split, half of it consumed by the task of winning the Hunt and the other by the investigation he and Kyran were pursuing in secret.
The documents provided by the leader of the Sons of Lyrel had proven to be a tangled web of information, hinting at a connection to the royal court but stopping short of pointing directly at a specific noble house. Caspian and Kyran had been meticulous in their analysis, poring over the records late into the night. Elara often caught glimpses of their work when she passed the study the palace had given to Caspian at night, though neither of them discussed it with her directly. Not yet, at least. Caspian promised they'd tell her when there was something worth telling.
Meanwhile, Queen Lyanna's behavior remained an enigma. On the first day of the Hunt, she'd subtly tried to undermine Caspian, casting doubt on his loyalty and intentions, but since then, she had been remarkably quiet.
Too quiet.
In the novels, Lyanna's disdain for Caspian was a constant undercurrent, manifesting in sharp comments and calculated slights. She wanted Chirondale in the royal family's hands, and Caspian was the only obstacle between her and what she wanted. Yet now, it was as though she had pressed pause on her efforts to disparage him.
Elara couldn't help but wonder why.
Was it because of the Centaur attack? Or perhaps the assassination attempt? Had she decided it was better to bide her time? Or was something else entirely at play? The uncertainty gnawed at her, a constant reminder that this world was no longer following the script she knew.
As the hunting party made their way back to the palace on the evening of the fifth day, Elara and Caspian rode back on horseback today since the rain from the previous night had made the well-paved roads too muddy for a carriage to pass through easily. Elara was mounted on Caspian's horse, the hood of her cloak pulled up over her head to keep the light drizzle at bay. The cold rain only served to make the freezing autumn weather even colder.
"You've been quiet today," she remarked.
Caspian's voice behind her rumbled against her back. "I've had things on my mind."
"Anything you want to share?"
"You'd make a good interrogator." It sounded like he was smiling.
"I'm serious," she pressed, keeping her tone light. "I know you and Kyran have been working through those documents. Have you found anything?"
Caspian was silent for a moment, then he said, "The trail the culprit left is incomplete. Whoever orchestrated the attacks on you went to great lengths to cover their tracks. Like the leader said, the documents suggest a connection to the court, but the specifics are elusive."
"And all of the documents are verified?"
"Kyran verified them all himself. The leader of the Sons of Lyrel didn't lie to us. I suspect she must be just as frustrated by the perpetrator as us."
Elara frowned. "Do you think it's someone close to the King? Or... the Queen?"
Caspian was quiet for a few seconds, and when he spoke again, he didn't sound pleased. "Possibly. The sheer amount of gold paid for your death definitely suggests someone with pockets so deep, it could only be a noble. But without concrete evidence, it's just speculation."
She nodded, her thoughts churning. The longer she spent in the capital, the more she felt like a pawn in a game she barely understood. And yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was meant to do more than just survive. She felt, to the very core of her being, that Astrielle had brought her here. There was a reason she'd been pulled into this world, a reason Astrielle had gone to such lengths to help Caspian bring her here. She just wished she knew what it was.
The palace loomed in the distance, its spires catching the fading light of day. As they approached, Elara caught sight of Queen Lyanna exiting her magic carriage, her posture as regal as ever. She wore a gown of deep emerald, its intricate embroidery shimmering with every movement.
So magic carriages can withstand mud and rain, Elara noted idly. Now she knew why Caspian had asked her if she wanted to take the magic carriage to the Hunt today.
"Congratulations, Grand Duke," Queen Lyanna said when they were close enough, her voice smooth as silk. "Another victory. It seems you're determined to leave no doubt about your abilities."
Caspian inclined his head, his expression polite but vacant. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Lyanna's gaze shifted to Elara, her smile widening just enough to reveal a hint of teeth. "And Miss Elara. I trust you've been enjoying the Hunt? It's not often we have the pleasure of an Otherworlder's company in such events."
Elara forced a smile, her nerves prickling under the Queen's scrutiny. "It's been... enlightening, Your Majesty."
Lyanna's smile didn't falter, but there was something in her eyes—something sharp and knowing—that made Elara's pulse quicken. "I imagine it has. Well, I won't keep you. Enjoy the evening."
With that, the Queen turned and swept into the palace, her attendants trailing behind her like a flock of well-trained birds. Elara let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
"She's more unnerving than she was in the book," she murmured to Caspian as they made their way inside.
"But you handled her well."
Elara shot him a sideways glance. "Is that your way of saying you're impressed?"
A faint smirk curved his lips. "Perhaps."
Despite the tension lingering in the air, Elara felt a flicker of warmth at his words. It wasn't much, but coming from Caspian, it felt significant.
As they entered the palace, the weight of the day settled over her, as thick and heavy as the cloak around her shoulders right now. The next two days of the Hunt loomed ahead, and with them, the promise of more challenges and more uncertainty. But for now, she allowed herself a moment of quiet resolve.
⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂☆
The sixth day of Valtren's Bounty Hunt dawned just a drear, cloudy, and rainy as the fourth and fifth day. Despite the weather, though, excitement hummed through the camp as the participants gathered for the day's announcement: teams were allowed for today's competition. It was a twist that added an air of strategy to the Hunt, and the nobles wasted no time attempting to pair themselves with the most skilled hunters.
Elara stood near the edge of the gathering, her gaze fixed on Caspian as he mounted his stallion with practiced ease. As expected, a throng of nobles surrounded him, their voices a symphony of veiled politeness and not-so-subtle desperation as they jostled for his favor. Every participant knew that teaming up with Caspian would guarantee a victory.
But Caspian, in his usual unflappable manner, simply turned his steely gaze on the crowd and said, "I've already chosen my partner."
A ripple of surprise swept through the gathering. Caspian motioned toward a man standing quietly at the periphery—a commoner with a sturdy build and a weathered face that spoke of years spent outdoors. His brown hair was streaked with gray, and his clothes, though clean, were far simpler than those of the nobles around him.
"Elric," Caspian said, inclining his head toward the man. "Will you join me?"
The nobles bristled, some whispering behind gloved hands, but Elric straightened, his expression caught somewhere between shock and pride. "It would be an honor, Your Grace."
Elara smiled faintly. She remembered Elric from the first day of the Hunt. His pregnant wife had rushed to him at the end of the Hunt, her love and concern written all over her face. Elric had been second place in nearly every round, and his skill had not gone unnoticed by Caspian—or the nobles who had been all but trying to bully him to step down. Second place might not win as much as the first place prize, but they were given a fairly substantial amount of gold.