{Continiued Elias's POV, first person}
By the time I returned to my office, the anger that had consumed me in the dungeon had settled into a cold, dangerous focus. The reports covering my desk suddenly seemed insignificant compared to the true rot threatening the realm. The commoners had been dealt with. The Pope had been handled. Lady Ophelia would soon be removed from the palace gates. Yet the greatest threat remained untouched. The traitor. The curse. The poison spreading throughout my kingdom.
I sank into my chair, while Cassian took his usual post nearby. For a long moment, I simply stared at the parchment scattered across the mahogany before finally asking, "What of the nobles we placed under surveillance?"
Cassian immediately understood. He glanced toward a stack of wax-sealed missives before answering, "The shadows reported nothing out of the ordinary, Your Highness."
