The private office of Duke Derek Sneider did not look like the workplace of someone born for war.
There were no massive swords hanging from the walls.
No armor covered in battle scars.
Not even an enemy skull decorating a corner, as some nobles seemed to consider mandatory.
Instead, there were shelves.
Many shelves.
Too many, according to anyone who preferred a good sword fight over paperwork.
Books on economics, historical records, trade maps, agricultural reports, and documents capable of putting any young noble to sleep in less than five minutes.
The Sneider family had never built its power by conquering cities.
They had built it by preventing those cities from collapsing.
Several reports lay open on the desk.
The tournament.
The Empire.
Trade routes.
Food production.
Derek had read them so many times that he could probably recite them in his sleep.
Standing before him were Tomas Denisse, Noah Armett, Brandi Brown, and Mateo Carruso.
Important men.
Capable nobles.
And, of course, men who claimed they were there for the good of the kingdom.
Derek had spent far too long in politics to believe those words easily.
Everyone wanted to save the kingdom.
The difference was that each of them had a different idea of which part of the kingdom should remain in their hands afterward.
Derek closed the final report.
The sound of parchment hitting the desk caused everyone to fall silent.
—So, Tomas...
He raised his eyes.
—Was that your great plan?
His tone carried unmistakable irony.
Tomas did not move.
He remained seated with the calm of someone who still believed he had everything under control.
—The plan did not fail.
Derek raised an eyebrow.
—It didn't?
Tomas crossed his arms.
—Andrew almost died.
A brief pause.
—The opportunity was there.
Derek let out a dry laugh.
—Almost.
His fingers tapped against the desk.
—That word is meaningless when we are talking about killing the Crown Prince.
The silence became heavier.
—Thirty-eight Imperial soldiers dead.
Derek looked directly at Tomas.
—An operation carried out inside our territory.
—And now House Douglas knows someone attempted to harm the royal family.
Brandi frowned.
—That is precisely why I ask...
He looked at Tomas.
—Why wasn't a second group sent?
—If the first attack failed, we needed another chance.
Tomas slowly shook his head.
—And have another forty men appear out of nowhere?
His expression hardened.
—Did you want the Crown to discover that the Empire had infiltrated soldiers into our lands before the night was over?
Brandi remained silent.
Tomas continued.
—It was already reckless enough to introduce that many warriors without raising suspicion.
He leaned slightly forward.
—Sending more would have turned a silent operation into a declaration of war.
Mateo slammed his hand against the table in frustration.
—But the prince is still alive!
His eyes moved between the others.
—Have you forgotten what was at stake?
Noah spoke calmly.
—No.
He looked at Mateo.
—Precisely because we understand what was at stake, we cannot act like desperate fools.
Mateo clenched his teeth.
Noah continued:
—If they had sent another group, the Douglas would not have hunted down the attackers.
A pause.
—They would have hunted down everyone involved.
The room fell silent.
Even Derek knew he was right.
The Douglas family was not someone you could provoke and then expect to ignore the consequences.
Tomas slowly stood.
Not because he needed to assert dominance.
But because he wanted to make clear that the discussion had gone far enough.
—Everyone here knew the risks.
He looked at each of them.
—We are not playing a game of cards.
His voice became colder.
—A single mistake can destroy us.
He approached the window.
—The Empire does not tolerate failure.
Then he turned slightly.
—And neither do the Douglas.
No one answered.
Because everyone understood the meaning behind those words.
It was not a warning.
It was reality.
Tomas looked back at the reports.
—The plan has changed.
A pause.
—That is all.
Derek narrowed his eyes.
—And now what?
Tomas gave a faint smile.
—Now we wait.
—Leonardo is still a possibility.
Brandi looked at Derek.
—And do you think the Empire will still be willing to wait after this?
Derek remained silent.
Because that was the part no one wanted to say aloud.
The plan had failed.
And when plans failed, allies began to wonder whether they were still standing on the right side.
—The Empire is in a hurry.
Tomas spoke calmly, his eyes fixed on the documents scattered across the table.
Derek raised his gaze.
—What do you mean?
Tomas hesitated for a few seconds.
Not because he lacked an answer, but because he knew his next words would change the tone of the conversation.
—The Emperor did not come here seeking only a political advantage.
The room fell silent.
—He wants Lusian Douglas.
Derek did not answer.
He walked toward the window and looked over the lights of the capital.
No one needed to say another name.
Everyone knew who would stand in the way if anyone tried to reach the Douglas heir.
While the banquet continued in the main hall, far away from the nobles' eyes, behind the private chambers of the king, there existed a room known by very few.
It appeared on no palace blueprint.
There were no guards stationed at the entrance.
There was no need for them.
It was a secret chamber where only matters capable of changing the fate of the kingdom were discussed.
Inside, two men stood facing each other.
King Philip Erkhan Kesller.
And Duke Lawrence Douglas.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Months had passed since they had met in person.
Not because they distrusted one another.
But because every meeting between the Crown and House Douglas was a secret that could never leave that room.
Philip finally broke the silence.
—It has been quite some time, Lawrence.
—Your Majesty.
Nothing more.
The silence returned.
The king looked toward the window before speaking again.
—How is your family?
Lawrence answered with his usual calm.
—Everyone is well.
A brief pause.
—Although these past few days have been... eventful.
Philip let out a quiet sigh.
—The tournament.
Lawrence nodded.
There was no need to say anything else.
They were thinking of the same things.
The assassination attempt against Andrew.
The infiltrated soldiers.
And the possibility that someone within the kingdom had opened the door to the enemy.
Philip stared at the table for several moments.
When he spoke again, his voice was no longer that of a king.
It was the voice of a father.
—Andrew came very close to dying.
Lawrence remained silent.
Philip took a deep breath.
As if the next words were harder to say than they should have been.
—He survived... because of Lusian.
For the first time, Lawrence showed a hint of surprise.
—Lusian?
Philip nodded.
—He protected my son.
Lawrence remained thoughtful for a moment.
—He never mentioned it.
A faint smile appeared on the king's face.
—That is what I expected.
Philip picked up one of the documents on the table.
Before handing it over, he stopped for a moment.
—Tell him...
His words lingered briefly.
—...that I am grateful for what he did.
Lawrence slightly lowered his head.
—I will tell him.
The silence returned between them.
This time, it felt heavier.
Philip placed the report in front of the duke.
—The Empire is moving.
Lawrence opened the document.
His eyes quickly scanned every line.
—Are you certain?
—Too many coincidences.
Philip placed both hands on the table.
—Infiltrated soldiers.
—Precise information about Andrew's route.
—A perfectly coordinated attack.
His expression hardened.
—Someone inside the kingdom is working with them.
Lawrence closed the report.
—I will find them.
Philip held his gaze for several seconds.
There was something deeply uncomfortable about this conversation.
There always had been.
And yet, he made the request that no other noble would ever receive.
—If necessary...
His voice was firm.
—Eliminate them.
Lawrence did not ask questions.
—Understood.
Philip remained silent.
Sometimes he wished there was another family capable of handling such matters.
He had never found one.
The Douglas family did what the law could not.
And precisely because of that, they were indispensable.
The king released a tired sigh.
Sometimes he wondered if this kingdom truly belonged to him.
Lawrence looked up.
Philip gave a humorless smile.
—The Sneiders maintain the administration.
—The Bourlances protect the borders.
His gaze settled on the duke.
—And the Douglas...
He paused.
—...do the dirty work.
Lawrence showed no reaction.
It was not praise.
Nor criticism.
Only a truth they both knew too well.
—Your Majesty.
Philip looked at him.
—A kingdom does not remain united because everyone agrees.
Lawrence spoke with the same calm voice as always.
—We are only fulfilling what we promised.
Philip did not answer.
He simply nodded.
—Find the infiltrator.
A brief pause.
—And you already know what must be done.
Lawrence lowered his head.
—I will avoid unnecessary deaths.
There were no farewells.
The duke left the room in silence.
Minutes later, Philip returned to the main hall.
The smile he wore when he entered was not the same one he had carried when he left.
A short while later, the banquet reached its peak.
King Philip returned to the main hall and took his place upon the throne.
With a carefully prepared smile, he began the award ceremony for the hunting tournament.
The nobles applauded.
The young participants received congratulations.
The families exchanged promises, alliances, and polite words hidden behind perfect smiles.
Everything looked like a celebration.
But beneath that peaceful appearance, the kingdom was already caught in a silent struggle.
The Empire had moved a piece.
The nobles were beginning to reveal their true ambitions.
And in the shadows, an ancient family watched.
House Douglas had never sought recognition.
They had never chased glory.
They had no interest in being praised by those who feared them.
Their only purpose was far simpler.
To make sure that when darkness finally arrived...
there would still be a kingdom left to protect.