The castle courtyard buzzed with quiet urgency as the group gathered beneath the archway. Carmine, freshly returned and still bruised from her escape, stood tall in a merchant's cloak, her scarlet hair tucked beneath a hood.
Francis held the invitation scroll, the seal of Velloria gleaming in gold.
"The engagement is in three days," he said. "And the guest list includes nobles from every corner of the continent. If anything goes wrong, it'll go wrong in front of everyone."
Colden nodded. "We need to be careful."
Francis looked up. "We need to go undercover."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Carmine stepped forward. "I'll lead the carriage. I'll pose as a merchant delivering silk and spices. I'll stay hidden. Viremont will have eyes everywhere."
Marco shifted uneasily. "And me?"
"You'll be a baker," Francis said. "Assigned to the palace kitchens. You'll prep the engagement dishes. Blend in. Listen."
Marco blinked. "I don't know how to bake."
"You'll learn fast," Carmine smirked.
Francis turned to Colden. "You'll go as a masked guest. No one will know it's you. I'll go as your replacement butler — tell them the prince couldn't attend."
Colden's jaw tightened. "So we won't be together."
Marco looked at him, eyes soft. "Just for a few days."
Colden nodded slowly. "Then we meet at the bakery. Every night."
Francis rolled out a map. "We'll enter Velloria through the southern gate. The merchant route is less guarded. From there, we split."
Carmine traced the path with her finger. "We'll need forged papers. I'll handle that."
Lisa stepped in quietly. "I'll stay behind. Someone needs to keep the castle running."
Colden placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you."
The sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the stone.
They had three days.
Three days to infiltrate.
Three days to uncover the truth.
Three days before Elaine's wedding.
As the carriage rolled out of the castle gates, Colden watched Marco from the opposite seat, already dressed in a baker's apron, flour smudged on his cheek.
Marco caught his gaze and smiled. "I don't have a good feeling about this..."
Colden smirked. "its going to be okay , i promise"
and Colden holds hands with Marco
And the road to Velloria began.