When I finally speak, my voice is low. "You should have told the truth from the beginning."
She nods, tears streaming down her face.
"I'm not even angry," I add softly. "I'm just… sad. Sad that I let this lie stand between Cassian and me. Sad that I didn't believe him when I should have. I let doubt get in the way."
Nancy drops to her knees before me. "Please… forgive me."
I fold my arms and stare down at her, shaking on the cold marble like a leaf in a storm. Her tears, her apologies, they wash over me like meaningless noise. I've heard enough of this act.
"Forgive you?" I scoff, pacing slowly, deliberately, like a predator circling its prey. "You think this is about Cassian? About some childish jealousy?" My voice rises with every step. "You nearly killed me, Nancy. You humiliated the Crown Prince. You brought shame, lies, disgrace into the palace and now you want forgiveness?"
She sobs louder, face buried in her palms, crumbling before me.
I let out a dry laugh; cold, humourless. "Do you have any idea what you've done? Do you even begin to understand the weight of your lies?"
I stop right in front of her, my voice low and lethal. "Conspiracy against the royal house. False claims of royal blood. Disruption of palace peace. Dragging the heir's name through mud. You fabricated a pregnancy, Nancy. A royal heir! That's not just slander. That's treason. That's an act of war, committed in lace and lipstick."
She gasps, trembling, but I keep going, anger burning through every word.
"Twenty-five years in prison," I hiss. "You'd be lucky to see the sun again by year ten. And I will personally prosecute you when I'm called to the Bar. Mark my words."
At that, she breaks completely, crying so hard her body shakes. "Please," she whimpers, "please don't take me to court…"
"Why shouldn't I?" I demand, stepping closer. "Why should I let you walk out of here free after what you did to me? To him?"
"I didn't act alone!" she blurts suddenly.
I freeze. My blood chills.
"What did you just say?" I ask, slowly.
Her voice is thin, barely audible. "It… it wasn't just me. My father. He…he put me up to it. He forced me to lie."
My heart pounds. "Your father?"
She nods miserably, still crying, still shaking.
I narrow my eyes, my voice sharp as a blade. "Who is your father, Nancy?"
She hesitates. Her mouth opens. Nothing comes out. Her eyes dart toward the door like she's considering running.
I step forward again, my tone like steel. "Speak now or I swear, I will make you rot in a cell until your memory returns."
Her silence confirms what I suspected all along, there's more to this than petty lust or jealousy Much more.
***
Heaviness settles in my chest as I take in Nancy's words, every syllable peeling back another layer of betrayal I hadn't imagined. I had only wanted the truth. What I got was a tangled net of deceit, ambition, and shadows right within these very palace walls.
With a bit more pressure and the sharp edge of legal threats, she finally cracks.
"My father…" Nancy's voice trembles. "It's Lord Johnson."
The name hits me like a blow to the stomach.
Lord Johnson.
One of the council members I never paid attention to; so quiet, so calculated. I've seen his wrinkled fingers wrapped around wine glasses at banquets, his silver brows furrowed in polite disapproval at court debates. I thought he was simply old blood, passive and ceremonial. Turns out he's been a slow poison… sitting amongst royalty.
I narrow my eyes. "You mean to tell me one of the king's trusted council members orchestrated all this? The lies, the attack, the smear campaign against Cassian; all to put you on the throne?"
Nancy nods, her face blotched with tears. "He wanted me to become the future queen of Matica. He's obsessed with the idea. He said… seducing Cassian would seal everything. It worked before. Cassian used to flirt with me, before your second wedding. But after you two got married again, it was like he turned to stone. Nothing I did worked."
Of course he turned to stone. Because Cassian chose me.
And I didn't trust him.
I sit down slowly, feeling the weight of the palace around me. My heart thuds with anger, confusion and regret. Nancy goes on, sniffling, talking about how the threatening messages came from both her and a guard loyal to her father. A palace guard, my guard, a serving traitor. Doing the dirty work with her while Lord Johnson puppeteered them from the shadows.
It all makes sense now. The attack through my window. The carefully timed SMS. The fabricated pregnancy. The panicked look on Cassian's face. The pain in his eyes when I didn't believe him.
I close my eyes briefly and take a long breath. The dots are connecting. The case is building itself in my mind. But amidst the clear picture of betrayal, there's one blotch of guilt I can't ignore:
Cassian.
I had accused the only man who protected me, stood for me, believed in me of betrayal. I'd cast him under suspicion while our enemies moved right past our defenses.
I watch Nancy, her head bowed, shoulders trembling from the weight of her confession. My mind is reeling, a flurry of thoughts spinning like a storm. But I can't let emotion cloud what needs to be done next. I steady my voice, firm but controlled.
"Nancy," I begin, stepping closer, "from now on, you'll remain in the palace, not as a prisoner, but as my guest."
She lifts her head slowly, eyes wide with confusion, and maybe fear.
"However," I continue, locking eyes with her, "you'll be under strict surveillance. You won't be allowed to speak to anyone, not even your father until the crown prince and I conclude a full investigation."
She blinks, lips parting as if to protest, but the sharpness in my gaze must tell her better. "You'll be well taken care of," I add. "Fed, clothed, and kept safe. But your freedom to move or communicate? That ends now."
I watch as her breath shudders. She nods slowly, knowing better than to plead.
I turn away from her and walk to the bell cord beside my bookshelf. I tug it once. Within a minute, Esther appears at the door, as swift and loyal as ever.
"Yes, my princess?"
I glance at Nancy, then step closer to Esther, lowering my voice so only she hears.
"Take her to the second guest chamber in the east wing. Post two guards outside. She's not allowed to leave without my permission. No visitors, no messages in or out."
Esther's brow lifts slightly in surprise, but she nods. "Understood."
"Be discreet," I add. "I don't want rumors to spread. Not yet."
Esther bows slightly, then turns to Nancy and gestures toward the door. "Please come with me."
Nancy follows, her steps slow, her face pale and stripped of all defiance.
As the door closes behind them, silence swells in the library. I finally allow myself to breathe.
I've secured the first piece on the board.
Now, it's time to hunt the one pulling the strings.