Chapter 20: The Shadow War Escalates
I. The New Chain of Command
With the final oath sworn, Prince Evan's chamber became the strategic nerve center for the Internal Affairs Council's counter-intelligence operations. His five Royal Guards, now Captains of their own 10-person elite squads, reported only to him, creating a command structure completely immune to palace interference.
Evan's first priority was the Volkar infiltration cells. He gathered his two key operatives, Captain William (The Shield) and Captain Lysandra (The Shadow), to assign their first mission.
Evan (to his Guards): "Theron's intelligence network has failed to locate the remaining Volkar agents because they look for spies among the nobility. We will look elsewhere. William, your loyalty is my visible strength. You will lead your squad in visible, high-profile patrols of the noble districts, displaying our new authority. You are the shield, designed to draw their gaze."
Evan (turning to Lysandra): "Lysandra, your team is my eyes. You will ignore the nobility and focus on the mercantile district and the docks. The Volkar agents will not be wearing armor; they will be hiding among the traders and merchants, using smuggled goods and false ledgers. We need names, shipping manifests, and clear locations."
Lysandra, the former shadow broker, understood the language of commerce and crime. This division of labor—William's brute force as a diversion and Lysandra's stealth for extraction—was the hallmark of Evan's Strategic Acumen.
II. Theron's Desperation
Prince Theron was immediately aware of Evan's moves. His Whisper Spies reported William's conspicuous patrols and the sudden, systematic clean-up of the Northern corruption. Theron's frustration was mounting; Evan was proving to be a perfect counter-strategist.
Theron knew he couldn't touch Evan's Royal Guards, but he could attack the information Evan received. Theron ordered his best cryptographers to begin monitoring all known channels used by Lysandra's former network, hoping to intercept a vital piece of intelligence.
Theron (to his lead spy): "Evan is using that shadow broker to circumvent us. She will look where we don't. Focus every asset on the shipping manifests and the trade routes. If we can intercept her discovery, we can expose her methods and discredit Evan before he finds the final Volkar cell."
The Intelligence War was now a direct, high-stakes competition between Theron's established network and Lysandra's new, untouchable force.
III. The Shadow's Catch
Within forty-eight hours, Lysandra's team delivered their first breakthrough. Her network, leveraging its deep connections in the docks, discovered a series of perfectly forged shipping manifests showing a regular, clandestine delivery of high-grade Volkar steel hidden beneath bulk shipments of grain—proof of a long-term, high-value infiltration cell.
The recipient of the shipment was a respected, seemingly innocuous Jewel Merchant named Lord Marius, whose shop was located near the palace. This cell was not smuggling arms; it was smuggling the raw materials for sophisticated assassination tools, placing the threat right under the King's nose.
Lysandra presented the evidence—a detailed manifest and a blueprint of the merchant's secret underground vault—to Evan.
Lysandra: "The Jewel Merchant is the cover, Your Highness. The vault is the key. The next shipment is due at dawn. We can't wait for the Council; we must strike when the vault is open."
IV. The Strategic Raid
Evan made the decision instantly. He could not risk bringing the information to the Supreme Council where Queen Alessa or Theron might sabotage the operation or claim the credit. He would execute the raid himself, using his own forces, and present the evidence afterwards.
Evan mobilized his entire team:
Evan, William, and Cassian (the defensive master) would execute the breach.
Lysandra and Anya (the focused archer) would provide overwatch and perimeter security.
The 50 dedicated soldiers would surround the district, ready for immediate deployment.
Under the cover of a dense, pre-dawn fog, the five Royal Guards and their dedicated squads moved toward the opulent shop of Lord Marius. Evan was clad in darkened leather, the cold, balanced stone—Kaelen's final lesson—tucked into his belt.
The goal was simple: secure the vault, capture the merchant alive, and expose the final Volkar Infiltration Cell. The next phase of Evan's battle for the Kingdom began now, in the silent, dark alleys of the capital.