Harry was in the fencing yard, mid-duel, when the maid reached him, out of breath.
"Lord Harry—"
Harry turned, lowering his sword. The urgency in her tone made his expression darken signaling his fencing partner to go away "What happened?"
The maid hesitated for only a second before she said furiously, "It's Lady Annabella. Something—someone—was in her room last night."
Harry's grip tightened around the hilt of his blade.
"She wouldn't let me assist her this morning," the maid continued, "but she was flushed, unsettled. And just moments ago, I saw someone sneaking out. Someone who did not want to be seen."
Harry didn't need more than that. He threw down his sword and stormed away, his vision turning red.
Arthur was not an early riser.
Unlike his younger brother, Harry, who had always been restless, dutiful, Arthur enjoyed the finer things in life. The pleasures.
So when Harry burst into his chambers, he found exactly what he expected.
Arthur, still in bed, half-naked. And next to him, curled up in silk sheets, was Two other women.
Arthur barely blinked at the intrusion, lifting a hand to push back his tousled silver hair. "Ah. Good morning, little brother." His voice was slow, amused. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Harry's stomach churned with disgust.
" What, I have to keep myself… busy." a chuckling Arthur said
His hand slid into the hair of the woman at his side, dragging her close as he muttered, "Can't go hungry while waiting for Annabella."
Harry's jaw tightened. "Annabella is leaving soon. Are you going to see her out?"
Arthur sighed, rubbing his temple. "Later."
Harry fisted his hands. "Later? You're her fiancé."
Arthur's lips curved into a smirk. "And you care why exactly?"He waved a lazy hand. "Besides, why should I rush? She's not going anywhere I can't find her."
The casual arrogance in his voice sent fury tearing through Harry's veins. "You don't deserve her."
Arthur let out a low laugh."And who are you to decide that? You?" He gave Harry a slow, condescending once-over before chuckling. "Oh, Henry. Always the noble little brother. Always so dutiful."
"Let me remind you, dear brother,"Arthur said, mockingly, "I am the firstborn. I am the heir. You? You are just the spare."
Harry clenched his fists so tightly his nails bit into his palms. He had stormed into this room ready to tell him everything. Ready to demand that Arthur, Annabella's fiancé, do something—anything.
But Harry turned on his heel and left.
Arthur didn't deserve to know.
If Annabella had succumbed to someone's charm—but not his—
Not him, who had loved and worshipped her with all his heart...
Then he alone would take matters into his own hands.
The hall was filled with noise—laughter, goodbyes, the occasional shout from a group of friends making last-minute plans. But Reagan sat alone, far from the others.
She had messed up. Big time.
And now, she had to fix it.
The plan was already moving. By now, Issey was tracking Annabella's convoy. Raizel and Kaizel were keeping tabs on Arthur and Harry. Everything was in place. Almost.
A sharp knock on her shoulder broke her thoughts.
Rea tensed, snapping her head up—Killian.
"Did I just catch you by surprise?" he smirked.
She exhaled sharply and leaned back against the chair. "I fucked up, man."
Killian whistled low, sitting beside her. "Yeah? Bad enough for a full dramatic moment, or just a casual 'screwed myself over' kinda deal?"
Rea shot him a glare. "Dude. Shut up."
"Fair enough,"Killian said, stretching his arms behind his head. "Wanna talk about it?"
She did. She didn't. Either way, it came out. Everything.
By the end of it, Killian was scratching his head. "Damn," he muttered. He clapped a hand on her shoulder. "That just… sucks."
Rea huffed, standing up so fast that her foot knocked over a bottle, sending it rolling across the floor.
"How the hell was I supposed to know?" she snapped. "It's not like I got a step-by-step guide on how to deal with this shit!"
Killian grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back. "Maybe it's for the best."
Rea shoved him off, eyes flashing. "You can't be serious, bro. Are you trying to piss me off?"
Killian swallowed hard. "Look, we can't go on with the plan. Someone saw you leaving Annabella's room."
Her stomach dropped.
Killian raised his hands quickly. "They didn't see your face. But Harry? He hasn't left Annabella's side since. And if I were a paranoid, overprotective bodyguard with an attitude problem, I'd be having her followed by now."
Rea ran both hands through her hair. "Do we have a visual on Harry or Arthur?"
Killian hesitated. "Arthur's fine. No threats, nothing suspicious. But… he did stop by to see her before she left, and—"
Rea's eye twitched. "And?"
Killian sighed dramatically. "You wanna hear that he was in her room for fifteen minutes, walked out looking way too pleased, then walked her to her horse and kissed her?"
Silence.
Rea exhaled through her nose. A hurricane of emotions stormed across her face, but in the end, she clenched her fists. "Doesn't matter. We go on with the plan."
Killian groaned. "Rea, how are you gonna fix this? She's one of the strongest mages of our generation! You think you can just walk in there and wing it? And with Harry breathing down our necks?!"
Rea snapped. "So what?! I don't know yet, but I'll figure it out. I'll fix it. I have to." Her eyes locked onto his, burning with conviction. "Harry? He's your problem now. When we met, you promised me you'd watch my back. Time to prove it."
Killian sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine. But before you do something insane, you should know something."
Rea narrowed her eyes. "What?"
He lowered his voice. "There are rumors. When Annabella was younger, she fell in love with a garden boy. A Sagan."
Rea stilled.
"Something happened. After that, she was sent to the Temple of Light," Killian continued. "And trust me, that is not a fun place to be. God knows what they did to her in there. Whatever she told you? There's more to it."
Rea nodded once, face unreadable. But inside, gears were turning. Fast.
This wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.