The study smelled of old parchment and cold steel. My father sat behind his desk, his hands clasped tightly over the dark wood. Wayne stood behind me like a silent guardian, while Mia and Ishu hovered near the heavy oak doors.
"Start from the beginning," Father commanded, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "I don't care about the rumors. I want facts. Who laid hands on a daughter of House Regulus?"
I spoke clearly, recounting the ambush, the lack of insignias on the men, and the way they had dragged us into the forest. I didn't exaggerate the pain. I told him how Mia had taken a blow for Ishu, and how I had fought back with whatever was at hand until the Duke arrived.
But as I spoke, a cold realization settled in my chest. The Church lies between the East and North. There are two ways to get there: the main road, which takes a full day, and the hidden mountain pass we took. Only three people knew we were taking that shortcut. Me, Mia… and Ishu.
I wouldn't orchestrate my own kidnapping. Mia would die before she betrayed me. That left only one person.
As I finished my report, my eyes flickered to Father. His gaze was fixed on the floor, his jaw tightening until the muscle leapt. "They are currently being held in the Duke's dungeon," he said. "I will be sending my own knights to... collect them. No one spills Regulus blood and continues to breathe."
"My Lord... if I may speak?" Ishu stepped forward, her hands trembling in that delicate way that usually made men want to protect her.
My father's eyes flicked to her. "Speak."
"They were... they were desperate men," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears
"Perhaps if we showed mercy? To show the people that House Regulus is not just powerful, but kind? If we punish them too harshly, the commoners might fear us."
Is she digging her own grave? I wondered. Why was she standing up for them? What were her motives?
The silence that followed was suffocating. I saw Wayne close his eyes, shaking his head slightly. He knew exactly what was coming.
My father stood up slowly. He didn't look "kind." He looked like a gathering storm.
He walked around the desk until he was towering over Ishu, his shadow swallowing her whole.
"You think," he began, his voice dangerously soft, "that I care for the 'fear' of commoners? You were a guest under my protection, and you were used as bait to lure my daughter into a trap. And now you suggest I let them go?"
"I—I only meant—"
"You meant to act the part of a Saint," I interrupted, my voice cutting through her stammering like a blade. "But you forgot where you are, Ishu. This isn't a tea party. This is a house of soldiers."
Father looked at me, then back at the trembling girl. "Iris is right. If you have the heart of a dove, stay in the garden. Do not bring your weakness into my study again. It is offensive."
He turned away, ignoring Ishu as she shrank back, her face flushed with shame and a new, sharper hatred.
"Go to your room, Iris. I will handle the 'mercy' these men deserve."
"Father," I said, pausing at the door.
"Investigate further. This ambush... it was no coincidence."
I saw the realization dawn on his face. He wasn't a fool; he knew the logistics of that path as well as I did. My work here was done.
But as I turned to leave the room, I saw something that made me stop dead in my tracks.