The moon was high when Serenil stood atop the outer watchtower, his eyes scanning the horizon beyond Faeloria's borders. Since the soul bonding and princess training, he'd felt an uneasy pressure tightening around the kingdom—an invisible threat drawing closer.
His instincts weren't wrong.
"Your Highness," a cloaked shadow knelt behind him—it was one of the covert messengers from the Royal Shadow Corps.
"Report."
"There has been an attempted assassination on Princess Roanna… in her own kingdom. The attackers used soul poison—a forbidden vampiric alchemy technique lost for centuries."
Serenil's jaw tensed. "She's alive?"
"Yes. Barely. Her father is blaming the Faelorian court… suggesting the attack came from inside our ranks."
Serenil turned, his soul energy flaring.
"Then he wants war. Or worse, he wants leverage."
The messenger continued. "That's not all. There was a simultaneous attempt on Princess Liselotte. She was ambushed underwater. Sea spiders—controlled by mindworms from the Abyssal Deep."
Serenil's fist clenched.
"This wasn't political… this was coordinated," he growled.
The next day, Serenil summoned his maids and wives to the war chamber. A massive table displayed magical projections of enemy movements and recent attacks.
"We are under threat," Serenil announced. "Not just from outside, but within. My enemies want me dead—or married with strings around my neck. They think I'm a pawn."
Astarotte's voice was cold. "Then we show them we're kings and queens instead."
Piglette nodded, soft-spoken but firm. "You protected us. Let us protect each other now."
Roanna stood, bandages around her arm. "I'm still recovering… but I can still bite."
Liselotte raised her trident and smiled brightly. "Let's wreck the ones who tried to touch my tail!"
Serenil smirked.
"Then let's begin the cleansing."