Chapter: Chapter 67**ELDORIA** "You're early today, Sir Henley," the guard at the door of the King's private record room greeted him. Sir Henley. His highest profile disguise so far. The real owner of the name was away. He tugged once at the stiff collar of the borrowed jacket he'd 'stolen.' He had spent yesterday memorizing Henley's gait, his mild stoop, the clipped way he spoke to juniors, and the deferential way he leaned toward superiors. He'd chosen him precisely because Henley was the sort of man who could slip in and out of rooms like this without being noticed. "Numbers don't wait," Seren said, pitching his voice into Henley's dry register. "Unless you have a problem with that." The guard shook his head and stepped aside. Inside, the shelves lined the walls, filled with neatly labeled ledgers. Against the far wall sat a bank of equipment, screens, and dials, the newest of Eldoria's "eyes," humming quietly. Only one clerk was present, a young man bent over a ledger at the corner table.
Last Updated: 2026-03-28
Chapter: Chapter 66**MYRKON** By the time Nico pushed Lena’s shop open, it was already dark. She sat at her table, glasses halfway down her nose, mending a sleeve. A lamp burned low beside her. “You’re back,” she said without looking up. “We thank the gods of the sea that they didn’t swallow you this time.” “They tried,” Nico said. “I’m very charming. I persuaded it to spit me out.” Lena snorted, then glanced at the window. “You’re too late for any mending,” she said. “We’ve closed.” “I know. I came for someone else.” He nodded toward the curtain leading to the back. “She’s sweeping,” She eyed him over the rim of her glasses. “You could come back tomorrow when it’s daytime.” “Tomorrow is far away. I was hoping to walk her home.”Her mouth twitched, but she didn’t tell him to leave. Catherine emerged a moment later, hair tied back, sleeves rolled, pushing the broom ahead of her. She started when she saw him, then smiled, tired but genuine. “Nico!. You’re back.” “So they tell me,” he replied. “L
Last Updated: 2026-03-19
Chapter: Chapter 65**DRAKONHELM**Back at the palace, Merren had already been through two of the supply courtyards, searching for more information on the real reason he was there.The problem was, in Drakonhelm, everything fit a little too well.Steady alliance. A new chapter. It was like listening to variants of the same script.He decided he needed someone less 'trained'.The opportunity came in the mid-afternoon, when he ducked into a narrow corridor off the main servants' passage to avoid a gaggle of Drakonhelm scribes.Inside, he spotted a young woman in Eldorian livery. She was one of the staff who had come with the Prince and Princess's entourage."A fellow Eldorian like me," Merren greeted casually.She blinked, then recognized his face from the press contingent. "You're one of the reporters?""Guilty," he said. "My name is Merren."She hugged the ledger tight to her chest."Dalia.""Tell me, Dalia," he said, as if in idle curiosity, "how are our people finding Drakonhelm? I've spoken to minister
Last Updated: 2026-03-19
Chapter: Chapter 64**DRAKONHELM**The next engagement was at an orphanage beyond Drakonhelm’s inner ring of walls.From the carriage window, George watched as the city’s hard lines gave way to narrower streets, laundry strung between windows, children darting around cart wheels.He sat opposite Katarina and her younger sister, Almeria.“This is one of three we sponsor directly from the palace,” Katarina said. “The others have parish support. Father insisted that at least, one should sit within sight of the inner towers. He says it reminds him of who he’s responsible for.”George glanced at her. “And does it?”Her gaze flicked briefly to the window. “Some days,” she said. “On others, it reminds him who’s responsible to him.”Almeria pressed her nose to the glass, humming under her breath and trying to decide whether to wave at every child they passed.At that, she turned to her sister, the motion jostling the ribbons in her hair.“You make him sound very stern,” Almeria said. “He’s not always. He smiled
Last Updated: 2026-03-16
Chapter: Chapter 63**ELDORIA**In the private chamber off their Majesties' apartments, the hour had slipped past most of the palace's business; the footsteps of their servants beyond their door had grown infrequent, the murmur of distant voices dulled.Charlotte sat curled sideways in one of the high-backed chairs near the hearth. A book lay open in her lap, thumb marking her place, though she hadn't turned a page in some time.Arthur stood at the window.The crown sat on a side table, a silent, gleaming presence that made its absence from his head feel more symbolic than practical."You're pacing without moving," Charlotte said softly.He turned his head slightly. "Am I?""Yes," she said. "I can hear it from here."He managed a faint smile. "That's a new trick."She closed the book and watched him. "You came up late," she said. "Later than you said you would. The council ran long?""It did," he said. He turned away from the window at last and crossed to the chairs. "They had much to say.""What did th
Last Updated: 2026-03-14
Chapter: Chapter 62**ELDORIA**Seren didn’t move, afraid that anything too abrupt would jerk her away from whatever thin thread of memory she’d finally grasped.“Where?” he asked quietly. “Where did you see Catherine?”Lucy frowned, eyes going unfocused again as she replayed the night in her head.“I was coming back,” she said slowly. “And then I saw her. She was… farther down the corridor, near the courtyard.”“Did you speak to her?”Lucy nodded slowly. “I… I think I did,” she said. “Honestly, it’s fuzzy. I have to admit I was drunk then, but...”She closed her eyes, one hand lifting as if to frame the scene.“I think I said, ‘Catherine, what are you doing up here?’ Something like that. And she sort of…” Lucy made a vague, helpless gesture. “She looked at me, but it was like she was looking past me. Eyes all wide and shiny. I thought maybe she’d been crying.”Seren’s chest tightened. “And what did she say?”Lucy’s eyes opened. “She didn’t respond,” she said. “She started to, but her mother answered for
Last Updated: 2026-03-13
Chapter: Epilogue“Len, breath…” Aria stood in front of Toronto’s airport as Tyler and the Uber driver put their luggage in the car boot. “Count with me. One… two…three…”“I am breathing,” Lena snapped, then yelped. “I am not breathing—oh my God, Aria, I can’t do this.”Tyler touched her arms lightly to let her know they could get into the Uber now.“Okay, Len, listen to me,” Aria said as she climbed into the car. “You CAN do this. That baby needs her mother. You need your ba—”“Oh my god, stop talking!!!” Lena screamed into the phone, sharp and frantic enough to make Aria flinch. “Where the fuck are you?!”“We’re literally in the car rig—”“If you are not at the hospital in five minutes, our friendship is over.”Tyler, who had just entered, winced theatrically.Aria shot him a warning glare so fast he pressed his lips together, though the corner of his mouth still twitched.“Don’t you fucking laugh,” she mouthed at him.His eyes widened in mock surrender, and he slid a hand over her lower stomach, rub
Last Updated: 2026-06-29
Chapter: Chapter 222“Hey,” Tyler murmured, tipping her face back up to look at him.His eyes were softer now, wet at the edges, a disbelieving smile starting at the corners of his mouth.“You just said the exact words I was going to say to you.”She blinked in surprise. “Wha—”Tyler didn’t let her finish as he crashed his lips against hers.At first, her eyes widened in disbelief… and then it fluttered closed and she immediately melted into it, hands curling into the front of his jacket.Her entire world narrowed down to the warm, familiar taste of him that always grounded her.To the way his lips moved against hers with a mix of urgency and reverence.To the way her body instantly remembered this, as if no time had passed at all.Every memory since the day they met folded into this one moment.When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathing hard.Tyler rested his forehead against hers, eyes closed for a second, like he needed to anchor himself.“I love you,” he said, voice low but sure. “I ne
Last Updated: 2026-06-29
Chapter: Chapter 221No.It couldn’t be.Aria stopped mid-step, her boarding pass crinkling in her hand.Slowly, with her heart pounding so hard it hurt, she turned toward the voice… and her knees almost gave out.Tyler.He stood a few yards away with one suitcase by his side, chest heaving, eyes wide like he was trying to make sure she wasn’t a trick of his imagination.The exact same way as she was feeling too.For a second, neither of them moved.Then, he took a step forward. And another.Without thinking, she moved too.Both of them dodged a couple of travelers going about their day without losing sight of each other… until they stopped just inches apart.Aria couldn’t believe it. Her heart pounded against her ribs painfully.It was really him.“Why are you going to Lon—” Tyler started.“What are you doing in New Yor—” Aria blurted at the same time.They both stopped, then let out a shaky, nervous laughter.They stood there, grinning like idiots, still a little too stunned to find the right order for
Last Updated: 2026-06-29
Chapter: Chapter 220The silence Dexter left behind was thick enough to press against the walls.The apartment was completely silent.But strangely, underneath the grief and guilt, there was a thin, fragile line of calm. One that felt like certainty.Her heart was racing, but her mind was steady in a way it had not been in months. And even though the situation was heartbreaking, it was also necessary.She could no longer keep living half-truths.Not anymore.So, that night, she packed her clothes, toiletries, chargers, and all the little things that made a place feel lived in, moving carefully, almost reverently, as if she were handling something fragile and sacred.Every so often, she would stop and breathe through the fact of what she was doing.This was insane.This was real.This was happening.But she refused to dwell too long on the shape of the decision, because if she did, fear might catch up with her and make her stop.So she kept moving, folding, zipping, stacking, until the suitcase stood by th
Last Updated: 2026-06-27
Chapter: Chapter 219Aria headed back to the table and sat down carefully beside Dexter.He turned to her immediately, brows drawn. “Are you okay?”“Yeah.” She forced a small smile. “I’m fine.”His hand found her knee under the table, thumb brushing lightly. “You sure?”She swallowed, glancing across at Lena, who was watching her a little too closely. “I’m sure. Just… long line.”Lena’s mouth twitched, but she didn’t say anything.Aria drew in a slow breath and tried to root herself in the moment—the clink of cutlery, Mia’s voice as she told a story about a coworker, and Jade arguing with Dexter about whether New York pizza was overrated.She also focused on the warmth and safety of Dexter’s palm on her knee like it might anchor her.Even though a certain name whispered at the edges of her mind, she shoved it back and reached for her drink instead.Three days went by faster than she thought possible.They crammed as much of New York as they could into the girls’ visit… until finally, it was time for them
Last Updated: 2026-06-27
Chapter: Chapter 218The next noon, Aria and Dexter took a taxi to the scheduled restaurant together, their fingers laced as they walked in.The girls were already seated when they arrived, and all three of them looked up at once with matching grins.“There they are,” Mia said.Lena stood first, smiling warmly as they approached. “Hi,” she gave Aria a quick hug before turning to Dexter. “Nice to finally meet you, Dexter.”He gave her a little polite but easy smile. “Likewise”Jade stood next, offering him a once-over that somehow managed to be both amused and approving. “Nice to meet you.”“Same.”Mia was last, and she hugged him like they’d known him for years. “So you’re the one,” she said with a teasing tilt of her head.Dexter laughed. “I hope that’s not ominous.”“It is,” Mia deadpanned, then burst out laughing.Aria shook her head, already smiling despite the nerves buzzing under her skin.Almost immediately, the girlfriend test began.The girls eased into questions with the smoothness of people who
Last Updated: 2026-06-26
Chapter: CHAPITRE 126Les samedis matin étaient généralement calmes, sauf aujourd'hui, car les femmes de ménage faisaient le ménage.Les bruits de leur aspirateur, de l'eau qui coule et quelques conversations à voix basse parvenaient à travers les portes closes.Jason était assis dans son bureau, les yeux rivés sur son ordinateur portable, tandis que sa tasse de café, posée à côté de lui, était devenue tiède.Il avait des copies d'étudiants à corriger, mais son esprit n'y était pas.Il ne pensait qu'à La Chambre Forte.Il a pris son téléphone et a passé un appel.« Oui ? » répondit une voix grave après la deuxième sonnerie.« C’est Jason Anderson », dit-il. « J’ai besoin d’une réservation pour ce soir. Privée. Le même type d’aménagement que la dernière fois, mais plus isolée si possible. »« Oh, monsieur Anderson », dit le propriétaire, un sourire de reconnaissance dans la voix. « Bien sûr, c’est possible. Vous souhaitez la suite du fond : bar privé, table de billard, entrée séparée. À dix heures ? »« Oui
Last Updated: 2026-11-04
Chapter: CHAPITRE 125Lorsque Tyler est arrivé à sa table, le cœur d'Aria battait si fort qu'elle était sûre que le micro le capterait.Il termina le dernier vers du couplet juste devant elle, la voix douce, les yeux fixés sur les siens, les doigts continuant à glisser sur les cordes de la guitare.Tous les scénarios de demandes en mariage qu'elle avait lus sur Internet lui traversèrent l'esprit simultanément.S’il se met à genoux, que dois-je dire ? Non ? Je ne suis pas prête ? Devant une salle pleine de monde ?Il a arrêté de jouer.Au lieu de se laisser tomber immédiatement, il se pencha et l'embrassa.Ce n'était pas leur petit baiser timide et rapide habituel.C'était profond et certain, comme si sa main lui caressait la mâchoire.Toute la salle a crié et sifflé autour d'eux. Quelqu'un a lancé des remarques déplacées.Tyler recula légèrement, son front reposant contre le sien pendant une seconde.Elle pouvait lire toutes les émotions sur son visage : de la nervosité, de l'espoir et quelque chose qui re
Last Updated: 2026-11-04
Chapter: CHAPITRE 124Aria ouvrit la porte de l'appartement et faillit faire un bond dans sa peau.Elle ne s'attendait à voir personne, mais Lena sortait justement de la cuisine.« Tu es rentrée ? » Elle cligna des yeux. « Déjà ? Le café était calme ou… »Lena n'a pas répondu à cette question.Au lieu de cela, elle croisa les bras. « Où étais-tu ? »Ce ton figea Aria.Lena ignore qu'elle passe du temps avec Sofia.Ce n'était pas nécessaire.Elle était censée être proche de la fille uniquement à cause de ce qu'elle savait de sa liaison avec Jason.Mais comme Lena supposait qu'Aria ne voyait plus le professeur, il n'y avait plus aucune raison d'être vue en sa compagnie.Son cerveau cherchait frénétiquement une excuse crédible.« J’étais… sur le campus », dit-elle prudemment. « Pourquoi ? »Lena croisa les bras. « Tyler est venu au café pour te chercher. Apparemment, vous aviez rendez-vous ce soir. Il essaie de te joindre depuis des heures, mais tu ne répondais pas. »Oh.Merde.Elle l'avait complètement oubl
Last Updated: 2026-11-02
Chapter: CHAPITRE 123Aria éclata de rire. « Tu plaisantes, n'est-ce pas ? Dis-moi que tu plaisantes. »Sofia renifla en se couvrant les yeux d'un bras. « Bien sûr que je plaisante. Je n'aime pas partager mon homme. Il me faut juste trouver un professeur aussi sexy que le Professeur Papa. »Aria s'étrangla. « Sofia ! »« Quoi ? » dit Sofia. « J’ai un type de femme maintenant : grande, méchante, moralement douteuse. »Ils restèrent allongés là quelques minutes de plus, échangeant des hypothèses de plus en plus obscènes. Ils riaient des idées qu'ils se faisaient des différentes formes de pénis.Le bruit d'un moteur dans l'allée interrompit leurs rires.Sofia se redressa. « J’imagine que mes parents sont rentrés de leur dîner chic. »« C’est mon signal », dit Aria en se levant et en remettant ses vêtements habituels.« Allez, viens », murmura Sofia. « Je vais te raccompagner. »La porte d'entrée s'ouvrit juste au moment où ils atteignirent le hall d'entrée.Oliver entra le premier, desserrant sa cravate, arbo
Last Updated: 2026-11-02
Chapter: CHAPITRE 122Aria a menti lorsqu'elle a dit à Jason qu'elle était dans son appartement.En réalité, elle se trouvait dans la chambre de Sofia.Elles étaient rentrées quelques heures plus tôt, et Sofia l'avait mise au défi d'avoir une conversation téléphonique à caractère sexuel avec le professeur.« Euh… pourquoi ? »« Parce que tu me dois quelque chose &r
Last Updated: 2026-10-31
Chapter: CHAPITRE 121Enfin, les cours étaient terminés, mais les paroles du doyen résonnaient encore dans la tête de Jason alors même qu'il garait sa voiture dans le garage et entrait dans la maison.Victoria était assise à sa coiffeuse dans la chambre, en train de mettre une boucle d'oreille.Elle portait une robe noire élégante, dos nu, qui moulait beaucoup trop son corps.Malgré son apparence très sexy, il ne l'avait jamais désirée.« Tu es en avance », dit-elle en apercevant son reflet. « Pour une fois. »
Last Updated: 2026-10-31
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