The sun had risen high in the clear sky by the time Gray finally arrived at the palace. Her limbs felt heavy, weighed down by exhaustion from the past forty-eight hours. Despite that, she held her head high, her posture unyielding as she stepped through the grand entrance of the Aldareus Palace. She had left the hospital in capable hands, the patients were stable enough, and the doctors she had trained to assist her were efficient, competent. Yet, her heart still carried the burden of the incident, of the lives lost, and the sleepless night she had endured trying to save as many as she could.
As she entered the dining hall, the warm, inviting aroma of breakfast filled the air. The Aldareus family was gathered around the long mahogany table, their voices a pleasant hum of morning conversations. Queen Amara, ever graceful, noticed Gray's arrival and immediately rose from her seat.
"Gray, my dear," Queen Amara called out warmly, "Come join us for breakfast. You must be starving."
Gray smiled faintly, a grateful nod to the queen, though she hadn't realized just how hungry she was until now. Mireille, who had been animatedly talking to her mother moments before, jumped up and bounded over to Gray, grabbing her hand.
"Come sit next to me!" Mireille insisted, her eyes bright with curiosity. "I want to hear everything! How are the patients? Did you manage to save them all? Are the doctors okay? Was it true that—"
"Mireille, let her breathe," Queen Amara gently reprimanded her daughter, though her tone was affectionate. "Gray needs to eat. Give her a moment, will you?"
"It's fine," Gray assured with a small smile, settling into the seat beside Mireille. "I don't mind."
Breakfast proceeded in a peaceful manner despite Mireille's barrage of questions. Gray answered each of them patiently, recounting the condition of the patients, the tireless efforts of the medical staff, and the current state of those who had been injured in the collapse. Queen Amara watched the interaction fondly, pleased to see Mireille so engaged and Gray handling the questions with the calm, composed demeanor she had come to admire.
"You've done well, Gray," Queen Amara said softly, her eyes filled with appreciation. "The state is grateful for your dedication."
Gray merely nodded, her mind already wandering to the events that awaited her today. As breakfast drew to a close, King Gregor and Lucian stood, signaling the end of the meal.
"We have a meeting to attend," King Gregor announced. "Gray, would you join us?"
Gray blinked in surprise but quickly nodded. She hadn't been informed of any meetings, but she knew better than to question the king. Mireille pouted as she watched her family and Gray rise from the table.
"Can't I come too?" she pleaded, but Queen Amara shook her head.
"No, darling. You need to prepare for your return to the academy. We'll see you off after the meeting."
Mireille sighed dramatically but obeyed, giving Gray a quick hug before darting off to her room.
---
The conference room was a stark contrast to the serene breakfast they had just shared. The atmosphere was tense, the air thick with anticipation as Gray followed King Gregor, Lucian, and Dale into the room. A group of high-ranking officers, detectives, and government officials were already seated around the long table, their faces grim.
Dale's expression was unreadable as he took a seat across from Gray. He hadn't spoken a word to her since she arrived, merely offering her a curt nod when their eyes met. She could sense the storm brewing beneath his calm exterior, but she was too exhausted to decipher it.
The lead detective, a grizzled man with a salt-and-pepper beard, cleared his throat and began the meeting. "Your Majesties, Your Highnesses," he addressed them all with a respectful bow of his head. "We have gathered all the information we could from the survivors and eyewitnesses. It has been confirmed that the building collapse was not an accident. We discovered traces of an explosive device at the scene."
A murmur of shock rippled through the room, though Gray remained impassive. She had suspected as much. The detective continued, "The explosive device was set strategically to cause maximum damage. The structure itself was solid, no sign of structural decay. The CCTV cameras of the building were conveniently down that day, but we managed to gather footage from nearby establishments."
He gestured to one of his subordinates, who quickly set up a series of clips on the large screen at the front of the room. The grainy footage showed a group of individuals entering the vicinity of the building hours before the collapse. Their faces were obscured, but there were other identifying features—tattoos, distinct clothing, and the way they moved.
"These individuals were seen in four separate camera angles," the detective explained. "We are running their images through our recognition software to identify possible suspects. Additionally, we found a partial serial number on one of the remnants of the explosive device. The lab is currently analyzing it, along with residue samples."
Gray leaned forward, her mind racing. She committed every detail to memory—the tattoos, the serial numbers, the timeline. There was something unsettlingly familiar about the patterns she was seeing, though she couldn't quite place it.
"Any suspects so far?" King Gregor asked, his brows furrowed.
"Not yet, Your Majesty," the detective replied, sounding frustrated. "We are hoping the software will give us a match soon."
Gray sat back in her chair, her eyes narrowing. There was a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach, a growing suspicion that she couldn't shake. Her thoughts drifted back to the conversation she had with King Theodore during the hospital inauguration. His threats, his veiled promises of destruction—it all lined up too neatly.
Taking a deep breath, she decided to speak up. "I believe my father, King Theodore, is behind this," she said, her voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of anger.
The room fell silent. All eyes turned to her, wide with shock. Dale, in particular, stared at her, his frown deepening. *What is she talking about?* he wondered. *That's not what I overheard that day.*
"Do you have any evidence to support this claim?" one of the officers asked, looking both skeptical and intrigued.
Gray held her ground, meeting each gaze without flinching. "I don't have concrete evidence," she admitted, "but last month, during the hospital's inauguration, my father made several threats. He spoke of bringing Vaeloris to its knees, of making us pay for... past grievances. I believe he's using these attacks to destabilize the state."
Dale's hands clenched into fists under the table. She's lying, he thought angrily. That's not the conversation I heard. But a part of him couldn't deny that her story made a certain twisted sense. The timing, the threats, the chaos—it all fit into a narrative he couldn't ignore.
King Gregor exchanged a troubled glance with Lucian. They had known about Gray's suspicions regarding her father, but this was the first time she had spoken so openly about it. They were aware of her ongoing investigations, aware that she was unraveling secrets that had been buried for too long.
Queen Amara, ever perceptive, leaned forward. "Gray, are you certain of this?" she asked gently, her eyes filled with concern.
"I am," Gray replied, her voice firm. "I know my father. He's capable of anything if it means achieving his goals."
The room erupted into a flurry of discussions. The officers began debating the implications of this new information, while the detectives hurriedly scribbled notes. Dale remained silent, his mind racing. She's trying to manipulate us, he told himself, though he couldn't fully convince his own heart. But why does her story make so much sense?
Lucian cleared his throat, bringing the room to order. "If what Gray says is true, then we have more than just an isolated attack on our hands. We might be dealing with a coordinated effort to destabilize Vaeloris."
"Which means we need to act swiftly," Dale interjected, finally finding his voice. He forced himself to remain calm, though his mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. "We should focus on confirming the identities of the individuals in the footage and trace the origins of the explosive device. If King Theodore is involved, we'll need solid evidence before making any accusations."
Gray nodded, though she couldn't help but feel a flicker of frustration at Dale's skepticism. She knew he was right, that evidence was necessary, but every fiber of her being screamed that they were running out of time.