"What about Darian?" I asked. "Do we send forces after him?"
"No. He's already too far ahead, and we can't spare the men. Besides, if he reaches Daemon, so be it. Let them both hide in their mountain fortress and think they've won. They'll be more confident, more likely to make mistakes." The King looked at me directly. "You were right, Princess. We don't need to kill Daemon to defeat him. We just need to make his coup impossible."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Don't thank me yet. This plan could still fail spectacularly. And even if the arrests succeed, we'll have eleven days to prepare defenses against an attack we know is coming but can't predict the exact nature of." He turned to Kael. "I'll need you visible. Let the court see that you're alive, that the assassination failed. It'll boost morale and show Daemon his plan isn't working."
"It'll also make me an obvious target again," Kael pointed out.
"Yes. Which is why you'll have doubled guard at all times. No going anywhere without full escort. No training alone, no private meetings, nothing that makes you vulnerable."
"That's going to make investigating difficult—"
"Then let others investigate while you stay safe. Your wife has proven remarkably capable at intelligence gathering and tactical planning. Let her continue doing that while you serve as the visible symbol of resistance." The King's voice softened slightly. "You've already nearly died once this week. I'd rather not attend your actual funeral."
It was the closest thing to paternal concern I'd heard from King Aldric, and I saw Kael notice it too. Something in his expression shifted, walls lowering just slightly.
"All right," Kael agreed. "I'll be the visible prince while Elara and Captain Thorne handle the investigation."
"Good. Now get out of here. Both of you look exhausted and you need rest before tomorrow's chaos." The King waved us toward the door, then added, "Kael? I am glad you're alive. More than I can express."
"I know, Father. Thank you."
We left the study, and it wasn't until we were halfway back to our chambers that Kael stopped walking abruptly. I turned to find him leaning against the wall, his face in his hands.
"Kael? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Everything. I don't know." His voice was muffled. "Fifteen years I've wanted him to say something like that. Wanted him to show he cared. And now that he has, I don't know what to do with it."
I moved closer, pulling his hands away from his face. "You don't have to do anything with it. Just accept it. Let yourself feel whatever you're feeling—relief, anger, confusion, all of it."
"I'm so tired, Elara. Tired of fighting, tired of conspiracies, tired of people trying to kill us. I just want one day of peace. One day where we're not running from danger or planning for attacks."
"Soon," I promised. "Once we arrest the conspirators tomorrow and make it through the Council of Lords, we'll take that day. We'll lock ourselves in our chambers, ignore all duties, and just be together. No politics, no danger, just us."
"That sounds perfect." He pulled me close, resting his chin on top of my head. "How did I survive fifteen years without you?"
"Very badly, from what I understand. Isolated, miserable, convinced you were a monster."
"I was those things. I might still be those things."
"You're not. You're a man who's been dealt terrible circumstances and is choosing every day to be better than them." I looked up at him. "That's not monstrous. That's heroic."
"Heroic is a strong word for someone whose curse nearly killed his brother tonight."
"Your curse also saved your life tonight. It burned through poison that would have killed you otherwise. It protected me when I was in danger. It's not all bad, Kael. It's just part of you." I took his face in my hands. "And I love all of you. Curse included."
He went very still. "You love me?"
Had I said that? I replayed my words and realized I had. Not planned, not calculated, just honest truth slipping out.
"Yes," I said, committing to it fully. "I love you. I didn't plan to. Didn't expect to. But somewhere between shadow beast attacks and fake deaths and conspiracies, I fell in love with you."
"I love you too," he said, and his voice was full of wonder, like he couldn't quite believe he was allowed to say those words. "I think I have for weeks but I was too afraid to admit it. Too afraid that saying it would make it real, and making it real would give fate something else to take from me."
"Fate's already tried. Multiple times. We're still here." I kissed him, tasting relief and joy and hope despite everything. "And we're going to stay here. We're going to survive this, defeat Daemon, and build something better. Together."
"Together," he agreed. "Now let's get back to our chambers before I collapse in this corridor. I'm still recovering from being poisoned, remember?"
"How could I forget? You nearly gave me a heart attack when you wouldn't wake up." I helped support him as we walked. "Don't ever do that again."
"What, fake my death or actually almost die?"
"Either. Both. I need you alive and relatively functional."
"Relatively functional. That's romantic."
"I'm a practical princess. Romance is secondary to survival."
We reached our chambers to find Mira waiting, worry written across her face. "Finally! I was about to send search parties. How did the King react?"
"Better than expected. He's authorizing the arrests tomorrow at dawn." I helped Kael to the bed. "And he and Kael had a moment. Actual emotional honesty. It was terrifying."
"The King? Emotional honesty? Are we sure he's not an imposter?"
"Fairly sure. Though at this point, I wouldn't rule anything out." I looked at Kael, who was already half-asleep. The events of the day had caught up with him, exhaustion overwhelming his determination to stay alert.
"Let him rest," Mira said quietly. "You should too. Tomorrow is going to be intense."
She was right, but sleep felt impossible. My mind spun with everything that could go wrong—arrests that failed, conspirators who escaped, attacks we hadn't anticipated. The list was endless.
"My Lady, you're going to think yourself into madness," Mira observed. "Whatever happens tomorrow will happen. Planning obsessively tonight won't change it."
"I know. But planning makes me feel like I have some control."
"You do have control. You've orchestrated this entire operation. You exposed the traitor, convinced the King, coordinated the arrests. You're the reason any of this is possible." She guided me toward a chair. "Now sit. Let me help you out of that dress and into something you can actually rest in."
I let her fuss over me, too tired to protest. She was right—I'd done everything I could to prepare. Now I just had to trust that it would be enough.
After changing into nightclothes, I slid into bed beside Kael. He stirred slightly, his arm coming around me automatically even in sleep. I pressed close to him, letting his warmth and steady breathing calm my racing thoughts.
"I love you," I whispered to his sleeping form. "And I'm going to make sure we both survive this. Whatever it takes."
Tomorrow, we'd arrest Daemon's network. Tomorrow, we'd take the first major step toward defeating the conspiracy. Tomorrow, everything could change.
But tonight, I had this—Kael alive beside me, love declared between us, and hope that maybe, just maybe, we could win this impossible fight.
I closed my eyes and let myself believe it.