That night, Seraphina couldn't sleep.
She kept thinking about Marcus Thornfield's cold smile and his thinly veiled threat. The way he had looked at her made her skin crawl.
Around midnight, she gave up trying to sleep and went to sit by her window. The palace gardens looked peaceful in the moonlight, but she knew danger was lurking in the shadows.
A soft tap on her door made her jump.
"My lady?" It was Marie, her maid. "There's someone here to see you."
"At this hour? Who?"
"Prince Lucien, my lady. He says it's urgent."
Seraphina's heart started racing. If Lucien was here this late, something must be seriously wrong.
"Send him in, but be discreet. I don't want anyone else to know he's here."
A few moments later, Lucien slipped into her room like a shadow. He was dressed all in black, and there was something dangerous in his green eyes.
"We have a problem," he said without greeting.
"What kind of problem?"
"The kind that could get us both killed." He moved to her window and peered out through the curtains. "I've been watching Thornfield's warehouse by the docks. Three ships arrived tonight, loaded with grain."
"Our grain?"
"Yes. But that's not the worst part." He turned back to her, his face grim. "I saw Lord Chancellor Aldric there. He was supervising the loading personally."
Seraphina felt sick. "So we were right. He's definitely involved."
"More than involved. He's running the whole operation." Lucien pulled a piece of paper from his jacket. "I managed to get close enough to overhear part of their conversation. They're planning something big."
"What?"
"Tomorrow night, there's going to be a massive shipment. The largest one yet. Enough grain to feed half the kingdom, all being sold to Aetheria at triple the normal price."
"While our people starve," Seraphina said angrily.
"It gets worse. After the shipment leaves, they're planning to blame the food shortages on bad weather and failed harvests. They'll raise taxes to buy more grain, which they'll pocket for themselves."
The cruelty of it was scary. Not only were they stealing food from hungry people, but they were planning to make those same people pay for the privilege of starving.
"We have to stop them," Seraphina said.
"How? We still don't have proof that would hold up in court. And if we accuse them without evidence, they'll destroy us completely."
"Then we get proof."
"It's too dangerous. If they catch us—"
"They're already suspicious of us," Seraphina interrupted. "Thornfield made that clear today. We're not safe either way."
Lucien was quiet for a long moment, staring out at the moonlit gardens.
"There might be a way," he said finally. "But it would require you to do something very dangerous."
"Tell me."
"Tomorrow night, while they're loading the ships, there's going to be a ball at the palace. A celebration in honor of Prince Kael's engagement to Princess Amaris."
Seraphina's stomach twisted at the thought of watching Kael celebrate his marriage to another woman, but she pushed the feeling aside. Personal pain didn't matter right now.
"What does the ball have to do with stopping the shipment?"
"Aldric will be at the ball—he has to be, for appearances. But someone needs to stay behind to oversee the final loading. My guess is that it will be Thornfield, along with some of Aldric's most trusted men."
"And?"
"While they're busy at the docks, we break into Aldric's private office and steal the shipping records. All the evidence we need should be in his files."
"That's impossible. His office is in the most secure part of the palace. There are guards everywhere."
"Not tomorrow night. Most of the guards will be at the ball, providing security for the foreign guests." Lucien's eyes gleamed with dangerous excitement. "It's our best chance, maybe our only chance."
"But even if we get the records, how do we expose them without revealing how we got the information?"
"Leave that to me. I have contacts outside the palace, people who can help us get the evidence to the right authorities."
Seraphina paced to the fireplace and back, thinking hard. The plan was risky, possibly suicidal. If they were caught breaking into the Lord Chancellor's office, they would be charged with treason themselves.
But if they did nothing, thousands of people would continue to starve while corrupt officials grew rich.
"What exactly would I need to do?" she asked.
"Attend the ball as planned. Act normal, dance, make conversation. Most importantly, make sure Aldric sees you there and believes you're completely focused on social activities."
"While you break into his office?"
"While we break into his office. I'll need your help to get past some of the security measures."
Her heart started pounding faster. "This is insane."
"Yes, it is." He moved closer to her. "But sometimes insane is the only option left."
She looked up into his green eyes and saw her own determination reflected there. Whatever happened tomorrow night, they would face it together.
"All right," she said. "I'm in."
"Are you sure? Once we do this, there's no going back. If we're caught—"
"We won't be caught." She surprised herself with how confident she sounded. "We're going to stop them, Lucien. We're going to save our people and make these criminals pay for what they've done."
He smiled, and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
"You're incredible, do you know that?"
Before she could respond, he leaned down and kissed her forehead gently.
"Get some sleep," he said softly. "Tomorrow night is going to change everything."
After he left, Seraphina sat by her window for a long time, touching the spot where his lips had brushed her skin.
Tomorrow night, she would either help save the kingdom or die trying.
But for the first time since her engagement had been broken, she felt truly alive.
The next evening, Seraphina stood in front of her mirror, putting the finishing touches on her appearance for the ball.
She had chosen a deep red dress that made her look sophisticated and confident. Her hair was arranged in an elegant style, and she wore her mother's diamond necklace. To anyone looking at her, she would appear to be a young woman trying to rebuild her social standing.
No one would suspect that she was actually preparing for the most dangerous night of her life.
"You look beautiful, my lady," Marie said as she adjusted the necklace. "Are you nervous about tonight?"
"A little," Seraphina admitted. It wasn't a lie, she was terrified.
"Don't be. You belong at these events just as much as anyone else. Don't let them make you feel otherwise."
If only Marie knew what she was really planning to do.
An hour later, Seraphina arrived at the palace with her parents. The ballroom was decorated in blue and gold, the colors of both their kingdom and Aetheria. Hundreds of candles cast a warm glow over the assembled guests, and musicians played soft, elegant music.
At the far end of the room, Prince Kael stood with Princess Amaris, greeting their guests. The princess was undeniably beautiful, with golden hair and a regal bearing. She looked every inch the perfect future queen.
Seraphina felt a stab of pain, but it was smaller than she had expected. Her feelings for Kael seemed to be 6ancient history now, overwhelmed by more pressing concerns.
"Lady Seraphina."
She turned to see Lord Chancellor Aldric approaching, dressed in his finest court attire. His smile was polite but cold.
"Lord Chancellor," she replied with a curtsy.
"You look lovely tonight. I'm so pleased to see you embracing court life again."
"Thank you. It seemed like the right time to move forward."
"Indeed. Sometimes the best response to setbacks is to throw oneself into social activities. Dancing, parties, harmless flirtations..." His pale eyes studied her face. "Much better than dwelling on more serious matters."
The message was clear: stick to frivolous pursuits and stay out of things that don't concern you.
"I couldn't agree more," she said sweetly. "Life is too short to worry about politics and business affairs."
"How wise of you." Aldric's smile became slightly more genuine. "I hope you enjoy the evening."
As he walked away, Seraphina felt a mixture of triumph and terror. He believed her act for now.
She spent the next hour mingling with other guests, making polite conversation and laughing at boring jokes. All the while, she was watching the room, noting who was present and who might slip away early.
Finally, she spotted Lucien near the refreshment table. He was talking to a group of young noblemen, looking completely relaxed and carefree.
But when their eyes met across the room, she saw the message there: It's time.
Her heart started pounding as she made her way toward the ladies' retiring room. Once there, she would slip out through a side door that Lucien had told her about, the one that led to a service corridor used by the servants.
"Seraphina!"
She froze as someone called her name. Turning, she saw Lady Catherine hurrying toward her with a concerned expression.
"Are you all right? You look pale."
"I'm fine, just a little warm. I was going to step outside for some air."
"Would you like me to come with you?"
"No, thank you. I'll only be a moment."
Catherine looked like she wanted to say more, but before she could, a young man approached and asked her to dance. Seraphina used the distraction to slip away.
The retiring room was empty except for one older lady fixing her hair. Seraphina waited until the woman left, then quietly opened the side door Lucien had described.
The service corridor beyond was dimly lit and smelled of cleaning supplies. Her heart was beating so loudly she was sure someone would hear it.
Following Lucien's directions, she made her way through a maze of narrow hallways used by servants and guards. Twice she had to duck into alcoves to avoid being seen by passing staff members.
Finally, she reached the rendezvous point, a storage room near the administrative wing of the palace.
Lucien was already there, dressed in dark clothes and looking every inch the dangerous spy.
"Any problems?" he asked quietly.
"Aldric spoke to me. I think he believes I'm just here for the social scene."
"Good. Are you ready for this?"
She nodded, not trusting her voice.
"Remember, we need to be fast. Get in, find the shipping records, and get out. If we're caught..."
"We won't be caught," she said firmly.
He smiled at her confidence. "That's my girl. Let's go save the kingdom."
Together, they slipped out into the corridor that would take them to Lord Chancellor Aldric's private office, and either to victory or to their doom.