Adler Estate – Noon
Sunlight poured into the sprawling training yard of the Adler estate, where Levi Rose Adler stood barefoot on the marble floor, blades of magic-ice swirling around her like restless birds. Sweat glistened on her brow, a few strands of her dark hair pulled loose from their braid. Her eyes—sharp, calculating—followed the dance of her summoned daggers.
With a snap of her fingers, they shattered mid-air, falling like stardust.
Evie Blaise Ford clapped from under a large parasol nearby, lounging at a white-gold brunch table. "And that's why you're terrifying."
Levi turned, catching the towel Evie tossed at her.
Levi (grinning): "You're saying that now, but wait until I outwit the Imperial treasury with a guild of gossip and whispers."
Evie (mouth full of croissant): "You mean we outwit them. I'm risking my family name too."
Levi (smirking): "Please, you risk it every time you talk."
They both laughed, that private, best-friends-for-years kind of laugh that needed no explanation. Inside the grand estate, George and Izara were still glued to their desk in the study, papers scattered like leaves—numbers, names, ledgers of the "official family business." But none of them knew what Levi and Evie were really building.
The Information Guild. Invisible. Untouchable. And growing by the hour.
Then—
The sound of doors slamming open echoed through the estate like thunder.
Servant (shouting from the front hall): "Lord and Lady Ford have arrived!"
Evie froze mid-bite. "...I thought they were out till next week."
Before Levi could answer, a second call came:
Butler: "Lord Henry Adler requests all members of House Adler to gather in the Red Chamber. Immediate attendance."
Levi stiffened. She looked at Evie. "That's not... normal."
Evie (sighing): "I hate when things suddenly feel dramatic."
They both stood. Evie brushed crumbs from her dark red blazer, Levi slipped back into formal boots. On the way in, they passed George and Izara—equally confused.
Red Chamber – Moments Later
The Red Chamber was velvet and gold, old portraits watching silently from paneled walls. At the head of the room stood Lord Henry Adler, flanked by Levi's uncles and aunt. Their expressions were grim.
Lord Maximus: "Levi. Izara. George. Sit."
Levi obeyed, her shoulders square.
Lord Jake (gently): "You weren't at the council today. I understand you were working."
Levi: "Yes. With Evie—"
Grand Duke (cutting her off): "The Emperor is considering a marriage. Between you... and one of his sons."
The air sucked out of the room.
Izara: "You're kidding."
George (to Levi): "Wait, you didn't know?!"
Levi (coldly): "No."
Evie, still standing near the door, blinked. Her parents were already waiting in the corridor behind her.
Lady Ford: "Evie. We need to speak. Now."
Evie (to Levi, low): "I'll wait for you after. Don't freak out. You're built for this."
Evie was gone before Levi could answer. The meeting dragged on—discussions of alliances, legacy, the Emperor's remarks, everything Levi had missed.
Her expression never cracked. But the moment she was dismissed, she walked swiftly—no, marched—through the halls.
Levi's Bedroom – Later
She threw open the doors to her room, which looked less like a bedroom and more like a sanctuary carved from myth.
Tall silver mirrors, endless bookshelves, a four-poster bed with gauzy black curtains that trailed like smoke. A ceiling painted like a frozen night sky. The windows overlooked the capital below, but the room was utterly silent.
Levi fell into her chair beside the crystal orb mounted on her desk—a communication ball, glowing faintly.
Levi: "Call: Evie Ford."
The orb shimmered. A heartbeat later, Evie's face appeared, wind-blown, cheeks flushed.
Evie: "Okay. I'm in the carrage with my parents. What the hell happened?!"
Levi (quietly): "They told me. I found out... from my uncle. Not the Emperor. Not even a letter. Just—'You may be marrying into the royal family.'"
Evie: "You've got to be kidding."
Levi (bitter): "Wish I was. Guess I'm not terrifying enough after all."
Evie: "Hey. Don't go full ice queen on me. You said it yourself—this empire only moves when you push it."
Levi: "Then I'll shove it off a cliff."
They both laughed again, but this time it was a little quieter. A little more real.
Evie (gently): "So... what are you going to do?"
Levi looked out her window. The capital glowed like fireflies on silk.
Levi (softly): "Whatever it takes to stay free. And if I can't? Then I'll make sure I choose who gets to chain me."
Verlice Manor – Study Wing, Border District
A heavy rain tapped against the tall, glass-paned windows of the Verlice estate, casting pale shadows across the worn wooden floor. Parchments covered every inch of the large study table—maps marked with black circles, ink-stained documents on cargo reports, and alarming letters from outposts near the border towns.
Winter Swann Verlice leaned over the table, coat off, sleeves rolled, golden eyes flicking between notes. His long silver hair was messily tied back, strands falling into his face.
Winter: "Crane. Compare this to the last sample. There's a pattern—mutated strains are moving faster through lower elevation towns."
Across from him, Crane Holt, his childhood friend and the kingdom's most relentless medical scholar, pushed his glasses up.
Crane: "You're right. It's not just climate—it's water routes. Someone's either poisoning reservoirs or they're using the outbreak as cover to manipulate supply lines."
Winter: "Which would explain the increase in independent mercenary movement near the river borders…"
He trailed off as the double doors creaked open.
Grand Duchess Verlice: "Winter."
He looked up. His mother stood at the threshold, her posture as regal as ever, her expression unreadable.
Grand Duchess (gently): "You missed the High Council today."
Winter (without guilt): "There's a plague spreading through Empire towns. Forgive me for choosing the living over the loud."
Grand Duke Verlice (behind her): "It concerns you. The Emperor has decided to pair Levi Adler with a future heir. Your name was mentioned. Strongly."
Winter straightened slowly. A rare flicker of surprise lit his golden eyes.
Winter: "Me?"
Before anyone could answer, another voice cut in from the hallway.
Alexander Romerro: "Of course it's you."
He strode into the room, soaked from rain, shaking droplets off his cloak like a storm following him.
Alex (half-smiling): "You weren't there, so I defended your honor. You're welcome."
Winter (dry): "So noble."
Lady Syla gave a tight nod to the boys, then turned to leave with Lord Jake.
Grand Duchess: "We'll speak more tonight. Let them be."
When the doors shut behind them, silence stretched. Crane kept flipping papers, pretending not to listen—but the tension buzzed now.
Alex: "The Emperor didn't declare anything. But the room was clear—either me, Beck, or you. And Beck... well, Beck's already fuming because the Emperor didn't back him in front of his mother."
Crane: "That's new."
Winter: "So, I'm being lined up for marriage while trying to stop a border plague."
Alex: "Romantic, right?"
Winter exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Winter: "I don't even know if Levi wants this. We haven't spoken about marriage since—well, ever."
Alex (genuinely curious): "Would you?"
Winter looked out at the storm beyond the glass. A shadow of something unreadable flickered in his gaze—respect, fear, fondness. Something he hadn't named yet.
Winter: "I don't know. But if she's forced into it, I'll refuse."
Crane finally spoke up, calm but precise.
Crane: "You might not get the choice. If this plague keeps spreading and the border towns fall, the Empire will need more than just smart marriages. It'll need stability. And the people already trust Levi. They trust you too."
Alex (nods): "The Emperor's not just thinking about heirs. He's thinking about the next hundred years."
The three of them stood in the echoing study, surrounded by open documents and silent maps of a kingdom on the brink.
Winter (quietly): "Then we better make sure it still exists for them to inherit."