"Your petition also mentions Duke Vorenthal," Thalion said, pulling her from her thoughts. "He features prominently in your network."
Seraphina met his gaze across the carriage. The moment their eyes locked, that same pull from earlier hummed to life. Fainter than the direct touch, but present. Persistent.
Like her magic recognized something in him it should not.
She kept her voice steady. "The Duke has been helpful gathering evidence and working with the military on demon attacks."
"How long has this alliance existed?"
The pull shifted. Stronger when he spoke directly to her. As if his voice carried something her magic wanted to answer.
What is this?
"Recently. We stumbled upon each other's investigations on our own. Once we realized we were chasing the same conspiracy from different angles, working together made sense."
"Convenient timing." Thalion's tone carried weight she could not quite identify. "Your husband away at the mines while you gathered evidence with another Duke's help."
She kept her voice professional. "Duke Vorenthal commands the northern armies. His spy network and military resources gave me reach I could not have gotten otherwise. When facing a conspiracy this big, getting help from someone with more power was the smart choice."
"And what is the nature of your relationship with him?"
He was probing for more than just evidence verification.
"Strategic alliance between noble houses facing common threats."
"Does he know about the Flamebearer connection you mentioned?"
The pull got stronger the moment he said the word. Flamebearer. Like something in her blood recognized that term spoken in his voice and surged in response.
Across the carriage, Thalion's fingers tightened on his knees. He felt it too. She could see it in the way his jaw clenched before control came back.
"He knows what is relevant to the conspiracy we are investigating."
Thalion studied her for a long moment. Something in his expression said he was not entirely satisfied with her answers, but he did not press further.
The silence that followed felt heavier than the questions had been. That pull between them stayed like a current that neither could shut off or understand.
Minutes passed without either speaking. Seraphina kept her gaze on the landscape beyond the window as rolling hills gave way to formal farms.
But she could feel Thalion's presence across the carriage like a physical weight. That persistent hum under her skin refused to fade. The longer they sat in this small space, the more it grew.
Magic did not react like that to simple closeness. Her experience and Mother's research had shown nothing similar. This was something basic she had no explanation for.
She risked a glance at the Crown Prince. He stared out his own window with visible tension in his shoulders, fingers flexing now and then on his knees. The confusion on his face when he thought she was not looking told her he understood it as little as she did.
The Imperial Palace came into view as the road went up a final hill. Seraphina had seen it before during formal court events, but seeing it now felt different. The massive white stone buildings rose against the skyline with towers that pierced the clouds.
She was riding toward the capital with proof that the throne might be involved in four generations of hiding the truth, and she needed their permission to escape Alaric.
Her fingers pressed against the document case. The petition mentioned "attempted murder of the Flamebearer," and they would ask who that was.
She needed to see their reaction first. Show the documented conspiracy, then decide whether to reveal her own bloodline based on how Eleanor responded.
Thalion was watching her again with that calculating look. He knew she was preparing for something.
The carriage rolled through the outer gates.
The palace courtyard followed every formal rule with imperial guards in perfect formation and servants moving with practiced skill. Every stone was swept clean, every banner hung at exact angles.
The carriage stopped.
Through the window, she glimpsed activity across the courtyard where a second group of riders arrived from a different direction. Dorian and her people kept their distance as told, close enough to follow but far enough to avoid obvious connection with the Crown Prince's escort. At least she had eyes outside the palace walls.
Movement from another entrance caught her attention. Military escort with formal banners showing the Vorenthal family crest. Caelan had arrived from a different direction, keeping up the appearance of separate travel.
As his party crossed the courtyard, his gaze found hers through the carriage window for less than a heartbeat. She felt everything he was not saying in that look. The tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw tightened watching her with the Crown Prince, the need to close that distance.
If the bond still existed, she could have sent comfort directly. But they had cut it. She could only hope he understood through that single glance.
The door opened.
Thalion stepped out first and offered his hand with formal courtesy that felt more like duty than real help.
Seraphina accepted.
The moment their palms made contact, electricity shot through her arm. Sharp and sudden, like touching raw lightning pressed into human skin. She felt Thalion's hand tighten on reflex, saw his jaw clench and his eyes widen before control slammed back into place.
He felt it too.
Neither pulled away. Neither said what just happened. He helped her down with steady hands even though that current still hummed where skin touched skin.
Only when her feet touched stone did he release her, his hand falling to his side with fingers flexing once as if shaking off the feeling.
Seraphina kept her face neutral even as her palm still tingled and her heart hammered against her ribs. What was that? The pull in the carriage was one thing, but this was direct physical contact that should not have reacted like holding lightning.
Every eye in that courtyard was watching.
The Crown Prince had personally brought Duchess Vessant, traveled alone with her for hours, and delivered her directly to the palace under his own authority. The wife of Duke Vessant arriving under Crown Prince escort rather than with her husband. Court watchers would notice and wonder what that meant.
Thalion kept his hand at her elbow as he guided her toward the private entrance, keeping the formal courtesy of imperial watch. That current from their earlier contact still hummed between them, fainter than direct palm-to-palm touch but present through the layers of fabric. Just being close kept some kind of connection neither understood nor could break.
Across the courtyard, she saw Caelan being directed toward separate guest rooms in a different wing. They were deliberately separating them before the formal audience, standard questioning tactics to divide potential allies. She watched Caelan disappear through another entrance as the physical distance between them opened with each step.
She kept her face neutral and her back straight. She had expected this.
Thalion led her through hallways she recognized from formal state events, but they turned before reaching the public throne room toward private hallways with fewer guards. He stopped outside an unmarked door.
"Wait here." His voice left no room for argument.
He knocked once and entered without waiting for response. The door closed behind him, leaving Seraphina in the hallway with two imperial guards watching her with professional blankness.
She could hear voices inside, too muffled to make out words, but the rhythm suggested Thalion was reporting and giving his assessment. What was he telling Eleanor? That Seraphina was composed, smart, hiding things? That her evidence looked real but she was holding back something important? All of it would be true.
The door opened.
Thalion stepped aside.
"The Empress will see you now."
POV SHIFT: Eleanor
The tea had gone cold an hour ago.
Empress Eleanor sat alone in her private study with the petition spread across her desk. The words had not changed since she first read them, and the weight had not gotten lighter.
She had survived three noble uprisings, an eight-month siege, and the collapse of two foreign alliances. She had buried her husband in the third year of her reign, raised a son while ruling an empire, and changed the court into something that would obey without needing constant force.
Time had made her harder than she once was.
She remembered when House Vessant had suggested the marriage arrangement. Nearly two years now. The orphaned D'Lorien heiress with large holdings, the ambitious Vessant heir positioned for council influence. On paper, it had been a smart political match. Eleanor had approved it without objection.
She had not known then what that approval would cost.
The petition proved how wrong that choice had been.
Eleanor stood and walked to the window. The capital spread below her in orderly streets and controlled buildings.
The throne needed balance above all else. Justice was simple. Balance needed sacrifice and choosing which truths to reveal for stability's sake.
But this petition carried evidence too solid to ignore. If she buried it, she would be involved in what came after.
The door opened behind her.
"They are ready, Your Majesty."
Eleanor turned from the window. "Summon the Crown Prince first."
POV SHIFT: Thalion
Eleanor stood near the window when Thalion entered, away from her desk and formal positioning. Just standing and thinking.
She turned as he closed the door.
"Your assessment?"
Thalion chose his words carefully. "Composed. Smart. Her evidence looks real from what she was willing to discuss."
"But?"
"She is holding back something big. Something she refused to reveal during the entire journey."
He paused. "Duke Vorenthal's involvement changes the situation. Caelan Vorenthal cannot be bought. His reputation is built on being honest. If he has allied himself with Duchess Vessant, then what she carries is truth backed by someone who risks everything on checking facts."
"You believe her because he does?"
"I believe her claims need full investigation because someone of his character backs them." Thalion met his mother's gaze. "And if the evidence proves what I suspect, I will expose everyone involved. Vessants' support network, their allies, every connection that made this possible."
Eleanor pointed to the petition on her desk. "The letter mentions evidence too sensitive to put in writing."
"Yes. And she was careful not to explain what that is. Answered every question about the documented conspiracy, the assassination of her father, the marriage fraud, the financial tricks." He paused. "But when I asked about the Flamebearer reference in her petition, she avoided it. Said only that the bloodline was central to understanding the conspiracy."
"She did not claim the title for herself?"
"No. Just said she knew the Flamebearer very well."
Eleanor's expression shifted slightly. "Interesting phrasing."
"I thought so too."
"Do you trust her?"
Thalion's jaw worked. "I do not know yet. She answered every question without revealing what matters most."
Eleanor moved to sit at her desk with fingers pressed together. "The petition also mentions Duke D'Lorien's death. Investigation reports confirmed assassination with the trail pointing to House Vessant, but who exactly did it remains unclear. It could be Alaric, his parents, or someone working under their orders."
"So we have direction but not conclusion."
"Exactly. Which means we move carefully without accusations until we have full proof." Eleanor met her son's gaze. "The court will not protect Vessant once this becomes public, but early exposure without solid evidence creates opportunities for them to attack everything."
Thalion leaned forward. "And if he was directly involved?"
"Then he answers for it. But we must be certain."
"What if we can prove conspiracy but cannot determine whether Alaric knew? Do we expose what we can prove and let some walk free?"
Eleanor was quiet for a long moment. "Justice versus stability. Complete exposure versus keeping structures that keep the realm working."
Thalion stood and walked to the window. "I believe corruption left hidden spreads. That if we protect stability by burying truth, we simply delay the collapse." He turned back. "If Duchess Vessant brings proof of conspiracy, I want it fully investigated. Every name, every connection, everyone involved held responsible. No exceptions for political convenience."
Eleanor studied her son and saw the conviction there. "Stay for the audience. I want your view when she presents the rest."
He moved toward the door.
"One more thing. Duke Vorenthal arrived separately but the way he looked at her in the courtyard suggests something beyond professional alliance."
"Noted." Eleanor's tone said she had suspected as much. "And your sense of her character beyond the evidence?"
Thalion's jaw worked. "There was a reaction when we made physical contact. Like touching raw lightning. It startled both of us though neither said anything about it."
"Magical interference?"
"I do not know. It felt like recognition, not conflict. As if my magic knew something about her that I do not. It continued throughout the journey."
Eleanor's expression shifted slightly. "We will discuss this further after the audience. Show her in."
Thalion opened the door. Duchess Vessant stood exactly where he had left her with back straight, face composed, and hands folded over her document case. But he caught the briefest flicker of tension in her shoulders when she saw him.
She knew this mattered. Whatever she was about to reveal.
She walks inside to meet the Empress.