state never

nd the hired musicians packed away their violins, the sprawling hal

ck and almost sentient, carrying the

a whisper of smoke, the hem of her black dress trail

old stone filled her lungs - a sensory m

d every inch of

r's hand, forced to smile through endless banquet

shattered into a thous

or that hung between two towering doorways -

iting the rui

somewhere - from one of the estate's unseen watchtowe

o

ed his a

his su

t

planted a seed - a spark of curiosity, a fl

tegist, she would fan it in

black USB drive - small enough to vanish in the p

ore accounts, weapon shipments routed through neutral ports, under-the

imply found

d bled

lt an empire of her own in the sh

time to we

minic's personal study. The place still bore his

lina kne

g broke e

lius Caesar perched beside the door - positioning it carefully so i

oo ob

oo hi

erfec

pire like the Moreaus', you

e first whis

r down castles far

t out a slow, controlled breath, and disappeared back into t

rebellion

-

inst the wrought-iron railing of his private balcony, th

n his glass went u

ebrating the final cementing of his role as heir, the

ranger's face

t a st

t shake th

in her stare, the way she carried herself like a queen in

ali

like a match i

o

was

all k

ood over the burnt remains of h

ye

air in frustration, the old anger

d grimly, he would

ad p

eill

our

Moreau world withou

lay at shadows, she would learn just

-

ds Catalina had pla

hisper between two senior gu

laced

ecured line that wasn

spread rapidly but quietly, threading i

s of be

ssing money, suspicious loyal

s she had

ramed by towering windows that bled

e very portrait of composed elegance, while the

pounded

ces gathered beh

the air like the

th

ent

ic Mo

him, as if the very walls recogn

ained - all crisp authority and vi

es met, it wa

llis

y, her lips curving into a smile that

d her gaze,

ew the storm ha

ous wars were alway

ered on her for jus

h recog

ith a

sharp and coili

storm feels the first crackl

't know

t

uzzle piece he couldn't quite place - s

visors approached, murmur

uldn't hear

dn't n

- whatever had been pl

s jaw ti

glance toward her

room, his men following in his

ly still, letting the

t beat a hard, t

crack ha

widen it - until the who