What most agreed on, however, was this. Both he and his sister had already stepped into a realm far beyond ordinary mages, and no one could clearly see how far they would go in the future.

***

Dispatching the Left Guardian meant something had happened that required that specific quality of power deployed at speed.

"Did the letter indicate the nature of the mission," Aldric said.

"No," the Duke said. "The advisor’s language is intentionally vague. An unexpected development requiring immediate response. Nothing more."

He looked at the letter on his desk without picking it up.

"Which tells me either the situation is sensitive enough that it cannot be committed to paper, or the advisor himself does not fully know."

Aldric absorbed this in silence.

"My lord. This is trouble for us. Serious trouble."

The Duke slowly clenched his fist on the desk. His jaw grew tight, the muscles along it hardening as he held himself still.

He stayed silent for a moment, but it was not an empty silence.

It was the kind that comes when a man already understands what is happening and is simply taking a moment before facing it fully.

He understood exactly what Aldric was implying.

The royal visit had never been a secret. Matters involving the King were never hidden for long. News of it had spread across the Hermes Kingdom and every noble house was keeping an eye on the duchy.

They had been watching closely, waiting patiently, and quietly forming their own interpretations.

A visit from the King, especially at such a specific time and to such a particular duchy, was never without meaning. It always hinted at shifts in power, alliances, and influence.

The Duke had been fully aware of this attention.

This visit was to settle doubts, prove loyalty and make it clear to all who were watching that the Astran name still held strength and importance at the highest levels of power.

However, a sudden delay sent the opposite message.

It did not matter what had actually caused it.

What the kingdom would see was simple: the King had been on his way and then he had not come.

And in the language of political perception, that translated into one thing only: The King had changed his mind.

The Duke stared at the window.

What would cause this? he thought.

What happened in the last twenty-four hours that was significant enough to redirect one of the King’s two personal guardians without warning or written explanation.

He had no answer and the absence of one was itself the most unsettling part.

***

At the same time,

In a room in the western part of the castle, the morning unfolded in a completely different way.

The atmosphere inside was calm, untouched by whatever tension lingered in other parts of the castle. Soft light filtered in through the window, casting a warm glow over the room and giving everything a grounding feeling.

Near the window, a low table stood between two chairs facing each other.

A neatly arranged ceramic tea set rested upon it, accompanied by cups of gently steaming tea and a small bowl of sugar.

A handsome looking middle-aged man sat in one of the chairs with a cup held lightly in one hand.

In the opposite chair, a woman with exceptionally beauty sat gracefully. Her eyes was not on the man in front of her but on the soldier kneeling before the table with his head down.

They were none other than Liam and Louisa.

The soldier had just finished speaking.

"..."

Louisa rose from her chair.

She crossed the short distance to where the soldier knelt and stopped directly in front of him.

"Are you certain," she said. Her voice came out differently than usual.

The soldier kept his eyes on the floor.

"Yes, my lady. The King has delayed his visit to the duchy by one week. The letter arrived this morning addressed to the Duke."

Louisa’s eyes widened in shock. She turned sharply toward her husband.

"Did you hear that, dear?" she asked, her tone urgent.

She had expected some visible reaction from Liam. Maybe anger, maybe frustration, or maybe at least surprise. Instead, her husband remained seated with that same smile he always wore as if everything was precisely under his control.

Louisa looked at him for a moment.

Then the corner of her mouth curved upward.

"You did something, didn’t you?" she murmured, a mix of admiration and suspicion in her voice.

Liam’s smile widened by a fraction. He took another slow sip of his tea, then set the cup down with a click. He then leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other, and finally looked at her.

"Perhaps," he said softly. "Or perhaps the King simply decided that our duchy needed a little more... preparation time."

Louisa studied her husband carefully. She knew that tone. It was the one he used when he had already moved several pieces on the board while everyone else was still trying to understand the rules of the game.

She walked back to her chair and sat down, crossing her legs elegantly. The initial shock had already faded.

"But what exactly did you do?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Liam answered with a low chuckle and leaned back further in the chair with a satisfied smile.

"I just got help from one of my friends."

Louisa’s eyes sparkled with interest. A knowing smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Andreas?"

Liam nodded once, confirming her guess without needing to say more.

Louisa’s smile widened, reaching her eyes this time. A rare, genuine gleam of satisfaction lit up her face.

"That’s great," she murmured, almost to herself. "Now we have one week to think of something. If not for this move, that Kraven would have definitely been chosen as the heir."

tap tap tap

She tapped her nail against the armrest, her mind already racing ahead. The delay had turned what could have been a disaster into a valuable window of opportunity. One week was more than enough time to adjust their strategy and to ensure that the King’s early visit worked in their favor rather than against them.

Liam watched his wife with quiet admiration. He loved this side of her.