Betrayed By One. Bound To Three-Chapter 46: The brothers outrage.

Silas stood alone at the high window that overlooked the palace training grounds.

The morning had settled into that quiet hour when most of the palace returned to routine after breakfast. Servants moved through the halls again, guards rotated positions, and the noise of conversation slowly replaced the earlier tension that had hung over the dining hall.

From where he stood, the wide stretch of training fields spread across the back of the palace like a pale sea of sand and stone.

Three figures stood near the far edge of the grounds.

Even from this distance, he recognized the brothers immediately. Their movements were too distinct to mistake.

Kael stood facing the other two with the restless posture of a man who could not contain the anger inside him.

His shoulders were tight and his hands moved sharply as he spoke. Ronan stood slightly turned toward him, calm in comparison, his posture controlled and deliberate as though he were trying to slow the storm brewing in front of him.

Edris remained still beside them, his arms folded loosely while he listened with the kind of quiet attention that revealed far more thought than emotion.

The distance between the window and the field was too great for Silas to hear their voices, but he did not need words to understand the shape of the conversation unfolding below.

Body language rarely lied.

Kael’s frustration was obvious. Even from this far away Silas could see the tension in the rogue’s stance, the quick gestures of his hands, the sharp movement of his head whenever one of the others responded.

Ronan spoke less but moved with quiet authority. Every so often he shifted closer, placing himself between Kael and Edris as though guiding the direction of the conversation without letting it escalate.

Edris barely moved at all.

Silas leaned one hand against the cold stone beside the window and continued watching the brothers.

Whatever had happened at breakfast had clearly followed them outside.

Loretta’s little performance had done exactly what he hoped it would do. A single suggestion placed in the right room had the power to spread like wildfire through suspicion and wounded pride.

He watched as Kael suddenly stepped forward, his movement sharp and heated.

Ronan reacted instantly, moving between him and Edris.

Silas’s lips curved slightly.

Interesting.

He studied Kael more closely.

Out of the three brothers, Kael had always been the most predictable. His temper sat closer to the surface than the others, and his emotions were far less disciplined.

Ronan was careful. Edris was calculating.

Kael was terrible at concealing what he felt.

Which made him the most useful piece on the board.

He had thought Loretta’s suspicion was ridiculous earlier, but seeing the effect it had on the brothers now made him reconsider.

It was truly possible that one of the rogue brothers had begun to develop feelings for Selena.

And if that were true, Kael was the most likely candidate.

He could see it now in the way Kael carried himself, in the tension that lingered even after Ronan placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. The rogue did not look like a man merely discussing palace politics.

He looked like a man protecting something.

Or someone.

Silas’s gaze drifted briefly toward the palace itself, toward the upper wing where Selena’s chambers were located.

He was not yet certain whether the feeling ran both ways. Selena had always been careful with her emotions, particularly since her return from the woods.

She was intelligent enough to understand the danger of allowing attachments to grow in the wrong direction.

Still, uncertainty did not bother him.

He had no intention of allowing another man to occupy a place beside her that belonged to him.

Silas straightened slightly as movement caught his attention again.

Down on the field, Ronan and Edris had begun walking back toward the palace while Kael remained standing where he was.

Alone.

Kael did not move immediately. The wind crossed the open grounds, tugging lightly at his clothing as he stood there staring after the others.

Silas allowed himself a small, thoughtful smile.

Yes.

Kael was definitely the weak link.

The quiet sound of a door opening behind him pulled his attention away from the window.

Soft footsteps crossed the room.

Silas did not turn immediately. He already knew who it was.

Loretta’s reflection appeared faintly in the glass of the window before she reached his side.

She followed his gaze toward the training grounds and tilted her head slightly.

"What are you watching so carefully?" she asked.

Her voice carried that light curiosity she used whenever she pretended not to already know the answer.

Silas gestured slightly toward the field below. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"The rogues."

Loretta leaned closer to the window, studying the distant figures as Ronan and Edris approached the palace gates.

For a moment she simply observed them.

Then a slow smile spread across her face.

"It seems our little plan is beginning to work," she said softly.

Silas glanced at her.

Loretta always enjoyed these moments, the small signs that her manipulations had begun to take root.

"Yes," he replied calmly. "It does."

He turned his attention back toward the field where Kael finally began walking toward the palace as well.

"But it is not enough."

Loretta’s smile faded slightly as she looked at him.

Silas rested his hands behind his back, his posture thoughtful.

"A rumor is a useful beginning," he continued, "but rumors alone do not remove people from power."

Loretta folded her arms lightly as she leaned against the window frame.

"You think they will stay?"

"I think they are stubborn," Silas answered. "And every hour they remain in this palace increases the risk of interference."

Loretta’s eyes flickered again toward the training grounds.

"So what do you suggest?" she asked.

Silas considered the question briefly.

"There needs to be more pressure," he said. "More reason for the palace to question their presence here."

Loretta’s smile returned slowly.

"You want them pushed out."

"I want them removed before they become a problem."

She studied him for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh.

"Leave the rogues to me."

Silas raised an eyebrow slightly.

Loretta pushed herself away from the window and began pacing slowly across the room.

"If Kael already feels something for Selena, that weakness will be very easy to use," she said thoughtfully. "A jealous man can be made to do many foolish things."

"And if he does not?" he asked.

Loretta glanced back at him with a confident smile.

"Then we will simply help him discover that he does."

Silas allowed himself a quiet chuckle. For a brief moment he imagined Selena’s expression if she discovered the rogues had been sent away.

Loretta had always been very good at stirring emotions where none previously existed.

"And while I handle them,"

Loretta studied him carefully before continuing.

"You should focus on Selena."

"What about her?"

Loretta stopped in front of him.

"If one of those rogues has feelings for her, the easiest way to destroy that connection is to strengthen yours."

The suggestion hung in the air between them.

Silas considered it carefully.

It was not a bad strategy.

Selena was intelligent and cautious, but she was also loyal once her trust had been earned. If he positioned himself correctly beside her, it would become increasingly difficult for anyone else to compete for her attention.

Silas nodded slowly.

"I trust you to manage the rogues," he said.

Loretta’s smile widened slightly.

"And I trust you to handle Selena."

Beyond the window, the training grounds had emptied completely.

The three brothers had returned to the palace, unaware that their private conversation had already become part of a much larger game.

Silas looked out across the empty field one last time.

The pieces were beginning to move exactly where he wanted them.

Now all that remained was guiding them toward the trap he had set for them.