The walk to King Aldric's private chambers felt like marching toward an execution. Every step echoed too loudly in the empty corridors, every shadow seemed to hide potential threats, and my heart hammered so hard I was certain everyone could hear it.
Kael walked beside me, his hand warm in mine, steadier now after several hours of rest but still not at full strength. Captain Thorne followed three steps behind, his presence both reassuring and terrifying—if this went wrong, if the King decided we'd committed treason by faking Kael's death, even the captain couldn't protect us.
"Last chance to back out," Kael murmured. "We could wait until morning. Give you more time to prepare arguments."
"No. Every hour we delay is another hour Darian gets closer to Daemon's fortress. Another hour the conspiracy has to regroup." I squeezed his hand. "Besides, I've been preparing arguments my whole life. Just usually wasn't allowed to voice them."
We reached the King's chambers, and the guards stationed outside looked shocked to see Kael alive. One actually stumbled backward, hand going to his sword before Captain Thorne stepped forward.
"Prince Kael lives. The assassination attempt failed. Announce us to His Majesty immediately."
The guard scrambled to obey, disappearing through the door. I heard raised voices inside—the King's disbelief, the guard's insistence, and then something that sounded like furniture being overturned.
The door burst open and King Aldric stood there, his face a mask of shock and fury and something that might have been hope. "Kael?"
"Hello, Father. Sorry about the dramatics, but it was necessary." Kael's voice was steady, but I felt his hand tremble slightly in mine. "May we come in? We have a great deal to discuss."
The King stared at his son for another long moment, then stepped aside. "Get in here. All of you. Now."
We entered the King's private study, a room I'd never been in before. It was surprisingly modest for royalty—books lining the walls, a single desk covered in correspondence, comfortable chairs around a fireplace. King Aldric's personal space rather than his public face.
"Explain," the King said, his voice dangerously quiet. "Explain how my son was poisoned and died in front of the entire court, and now stands before me alive. Explain quickly, before I decide this is some kind of shade trick and have you both arrested."
So I explained. Everything. The investigation into Queen Arianna's murder, discovering Daemon was alive, the conspiracy reaching into the highest levels of court, our decision to fake Kael's death to expose the traitor. I left nothing out—not the poison, not the tampering, not how close we'd come to Kael actually dying.
King Aldric listened without interrupting, his face growing paler and harder with each revelation. When I finished, silence filled the room, heavy and suffocating.
"Darian," he finally said. "My eldest son. My heir. Working with Daemon to overthrow me."
"The evidence is extensive, Father," Kael said quietly. "Correspondence, testimony from the healer who supplied him with potions, financial records showing payments to various agents. Theron found it all in Darian's chambers."
"Theron knows about this?"
"He's the one who helped save Kael's life after the poisoning," I added. "Whatever else he may have done, whatever mistakes he's made, he chose his brother over the conspiracy. He chose family."
"And where is Darian now?"
"Fled toward the northern mountains," Captain Thorne supplied. "Heading for Daemon's fortress, we believe. He left shortly after the supposed assassination, claiming he wanted to grieve privately."
The King moved to his desk, bracing his hands on its surface like he needed the support. "My brother lives. My eldest son is a traitor. My youngest son faked his death to expose them. And a coup is planned for the Council of Lords in eleven days." He laughed, but it was a broken sound. "Is there anything else? Any other disasters you'd like to share?"
"Actually, yes," I said, stepping forward. "We have a list of thirty people in this castle who are working with the conspiracy. Servants, guards, two minor nobles. They need to be arrested immediately, all at once, before they can warn each other or flee. But we need your authority and resources to do it. Captain Thorne's loyal guards aren't enough for an operation this size."
"You want me to authorize mass arrests based on testimony from a healer who's already confessed to being part of the conspiracy?" King Aldric's voice was sharp. "How do I know this isn't another layer of deception? How do I know you're not the conspirators, trying to eliminate your enemies by framing them as traitors?"
"Because if we wanted to eliminate enemies, we'd have done it quietly," Kael said. "Poison, accidents, disappearances. We wouldn't bring it to you publicly and ask for your help. We'd just act and deal with consequences later."
"Like you did when you faked your death?"
"That was different. We couldn't trust anyone at that point, including you. We needed to force the traitor's hand, and it worked. We exposed Darian, discovered his network, and now we're bringing you the intelligence so you can protect your kingdom." Kael moved closer to his father. "I know you have no reason to trust me. I know our relationship has been difficult at best. But this is bigger than our personal issues. This is about Shadowmere's survival."
The King studied his son for a long moment. "You look like her. Your mother. More so every year. It's one reason I've struggled to look at you without pain."
"I know. Theron told me you loved her genuinely."
"I did. More than anything. And when she died, when I thought your curse had driven her to it, I couldn't separate my grief from my anger at you for existing." King Aldric's voice cracked. "That was wrong of me. Cruel and unfair. You were a child who'd lost his mother. You needed comfort and I gave you fear instead."
I felt tears prick my eyes at the raw honesty in the King's voice. Beside me, Kael had gone very still.
"If I could go back," the King continued, "if I could change how I treated you, I would. But I can't. All I can do is try to be better now. Try to be the father I should have been before."
"I don't need a father," Kael said, but his voice was unsteady. "I needed one fifteen years ago. But I don't need one now."
"I know. But I need to be one anyway. For my sake, if not yours." The King straightened, some of his usual command returning. "So here's what we're going to do. You'll give Captain Thorne the list of suspected conspirators. He'll coordinate with my master of arms to plan simultaneous arrests. We strike tomorrow at dawn when people are least alert and most likely to be in their beds. Anyone who resists will be subdued but not killed if possible—we need them alive for interrogation."