Elder Marianne stormed through the front door of her family estate, her mind racing with the implications of what she had just discovered. The weight of decades-old secrets pressed against her chest like a physical force.
"I need every piece of intelligence we have on Princess Keena," she announced to her mate, who immediately recognized the urgency in her voice. "Every source, every verification, every detail that led to our current understanding."
Her mate nodded grimly and led the way upstairs to their concealed office. The hidden room had been constructed years ago on her father's recommendation, a fortress of family secrets within their own home.
The oath her bloodline had sworn to protect Keena and her descendants burned in Marianne's memory. Only her father's intervention had saved her and Dwayne from losing their positions as Elders entirely. King Patton had been convinced that removing them would mean losing decades of critical knowledge.
