Late afternoon light fell across the merchant gate at the back of the castle. This gate was used by merchants to enter the castle. Alina waited in the shadows of the stone archway until Emeric finally appeared at the gate, looking exhausted.

His coat hung loosely from his shoulders, wrinkled and stained with ink while a heavy leather satchel bulged at his side.

"You look terrible," Alina said the moment he stopped in front of her.

Emeric gave her a tired smile.

"And you look worried. We are even."

She led him quickly through the servant corridors. Evelyn spotted them from the kitchen and quietly shoved a warm piece of bread into Emeric’s hands before turning back to her work.

They climbed the back staircase and stepped into Austin’s study, where Austin and Maren were already waiting for them. Maren gestured for Emeric to sit. He sat down and opened his bag.

"I found five sealed files," he said. "The other two are locked in Chancellor Crane’s private archive. I couldn’t get them. But these five should be enough."

He laid the handwritten copies on the desk. The pages were cramped but readable. Each page had Chancellor Crane’s signature at the bottom.

"The incidents span four years," Emeric explained. "From when Audrey was twelve until she turned sixteen."

Alina picked up the first page and read.

A lady-in-waiting had been found unconscious at the bottom of a staircase. Officially, it had been ruled an accident. But the hidden report revealed that the girl had told a physician that Audrey pushed her before she disappeared from the court.

The second file described a kitchen servant accused of theft. The sealed report revealed that evidence had been planted in her quarters. The investigation had been shut down quickly by Crane’s office, and the servant vanished from the palace soon after.

The third file made Alina’s fingers tremble.

A visiting nobleman’s daughter had suffered severe burns on both hands. Official reports called it a candle accident, but three witnesses spoke about seeing Audrey at the scene, and all three later disappeared from court as well.

The fourth incident was about a stable boy who had been falsely accused of misconduct and left to die in prison.

The fifth incident was about a friend of Audrey who tried to flee the palace in the middle of the night terrified of ’what Audrey would do next.’ She was never seen again.

Austin, who initially looked determined, now was looking devastated. He had known Audrey since childhood and only now he was learning who she had really been.

"These files prove Crane has spent years protecting Audrey from the consequences of her actions," Austin said, looking at the signatures. "If these records become public, Crane will fall with her."

"The king won’t allow that," Maren said immediately.

"Exactly," Austin said. "It means the king now has a reason to negotiate with us."

Emeric, who had been sitting quietly, finally spoke.

"There is something else you should know before making a decision."

They all looked at him.

"The clerk who helped me, the woman at the posting station, and the contact who showed me Crane’s filing system." His eyes moved across the room. "They’ve risked everything to help me. If Crane discovers the leak, they could lose their positions or worse."

Guilt settled heavily in Alina’s chest. She was the one who had asked Emeric to investigate and now a chain of innocent people was in danger because of her.

"They can come here," Austin said immediately. "Anyone connected to this can claim protection in Ravenmoor."

Emeric gave him a grim look.

"That protection will only matter if Ravenmoor still belongs to you."

The room fell silent again. Emeric was right.

"I’ll do what I can to protect them," Austin added.

Emeric nodded, unconvinced and left the same way he had arrived.

Austin, Alina, and Maren stayed in the study, looking at the files like a battlefield map.

"We have only two options now," Maren said. "We can go to the king first and confront him about these files."

Austin shook his head immediately.

"It’s too risky."

"Or we can hold the files as deterrence," Maren continued. "We can wait for Audrey to make her move. When she does, we will respond with these documents."

"Mutual destruction?" Alina murmured.

Maren nodded.

"Deterrence," Austin decided. "We will wait."

Maren nodded and gathered some of the papers before leaving. Austin stayed seated, staring at the files. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Are you okay?" Alina asked.

He put his hand on one of the reports.

"I thought she was my friend."

Alina moved closer and took his hand.

"You couldn’t have known."

"I should have at least seen something."

"She spent years hiding it with the help of the most powerful man in the kingdom besides the king himself," Alina shook her head. "That isn’t your failure, Austin."

For the first time, Austin realized that the woman he thought he knew had been a stranger all along.

Later, after the sewing circle ended, Alina, instead of going back into the castle stood among the lavender flowers in the garden. The flowers were dying, their scent softer now as autumn approached. She was about to turn around when she heard footsteps behind her. Austin came and stopped beside her.

Before either of them could speak, Harwick appeared from behind the bushes. He walked directly to Austin and sat beside his boots.

"Your cat followed you again," Alina laughed. "He adores you."

Harwick purred loudly as Austin bent down to scratch his ears. Then they began walking slowly through the garden with Harwick trailing behind them.

After a moment, Austin reached for her hand. He held it openly in the daylight where anyone could see them. But he wasn’t afraid now.

"The flowers are dying," Alina said as they passed the flower beds.

"They akways do at this time of the year," Austin replied. "But it comes back."

"Maybe some things survive winter after all," Alina replied with a smile. "Maybe we will too."

Austin looked at her for a brief second but didn’t say anything. They just kept walking through the fading afternoon light without talking about anything, just enjoying each other’s company,

But across the castle, inside her room, Audrey sat at her desk, staring at a blank page. She knew that once she wrote this letter, there would be no turning back.

Her fingers tightened around the quill as childhood memories flooded her. She remembered correcting Austin’s Latin and how he argued stubbornly even though he was wrong. She remembered all the years she had spent managing Ravenmoor beside him, convincing herself that one day he would finally look at her the way she looked at him.

But he never had. He loved Alina now, and she was sure that he always would. She wiped a tear, and began to write.

Your Majesty,

Further to my previous correspondence, I must report information of the highest importance regarding the Duke of Ravenmoor’s household.

Alina Ashworth, currently held under a bed warmer contract by the duke, is not the daughter of a minor baron as her records state. She is the niece of King Aldric of Arcasedia, through his sister Princess Isadora of the House of Ashrael.

The duke has been aware of her lineage since before he acquired the contract. He has concealed this information from the crown for the duration of Miss Ashworth’s residence at Ravenmoor.

I bring this to Your Majesty’s attention not out of personal grievance but out of duty to the crown and concern for the security of the kingdom. An Arcasedian heir in a duke’s household is a matter of concern.

Audrey.

She sealed the letter and handed it to her personal courier.

"Tonight," she said. "Deliver it directly to the king."