The air still buzzed with scandal. The sweet scent of roses now reeked of chaos. I walked away from Kael slowly and deliberately. Every step echoed in the ballroom like a verdict. I didn't look back.
Let him burn in the wreckage of his perfect image. Let the whispers gut him worse than any blade.
Outside the ballroom, the night was sharp and cold. The chill bit through my thin gown, but it was nothing compared to the chill in my chest. Sophie found me beneath the arched hallway, her face pale with poorly masked excitement.
"It worked," she said, barely able to contain herself. "They're calling it a public disgrace. The nobles are shaken. Even the Emperor's aide sent a request to speak with you."
I raised an eyebrow. "That soon?"
She handed me a folded note. "They want a private meeting. In an hour. They made it sound casual, but..."
"They're afraid," I finished for her, tucking the note into my glove. "Good. Fear is far more useful than admiration."
Sophie had always been the more exuberant one. She couldn't hide her excitement, and right now, her hands were trembling with it. I smiled, the corners of my lips twitching in amusement. "I trust you did everything?"
Her eyes flickered with guilt. "Yes. I planted the letter just like you told me. It'll be tied back to him. Baron Duren will be the first to collapse under the weight of it."
"Perfect," I whispered, my voice a smooth promise of things yet to come. "Let him walk into his own noose."
We continued walking through the grand hall toward the guest wing, The sound of our heels clicking sharply on the marble floor like a countdown to his downfall. Each step felt like the pulse of a grand design. I had waited Forever for this moment, For the world to crumble beneath my feet.
Sophie glanced around before leaning in. "There's more. Kael's letter. The one he exchanged with Baron Duren? It was a forgery. I slipped it into the palace archives like you asked. The moment he claims it's real, he'll be caught in a lie."
"Good." My smile widened. "Let him choke on his lies."
Her voice lowered, cautious now. "We may have accidentally implicated Lady Syelene. The baron had dealings with her too."
I raised an eyebrow, letting the information settle. "Then it's not an accident. It's fate."
We passed through the narrow corridor leading to the imperial conservatory, where the aide waited. It was a space too beautiful for any honest conversation. Ivy coiled up crystalline walls, moonlight filtering through pale silver glass. The beauty of it was deceiving, much like the people I was about to meet.
The aide stood, the slightest of bows given as I entered. His stiff posture betrayed that he knew exactly why he was here. And it wasn't to offer sympathy.
"Lady Katerina," he said, a touch of formality lacing his voice. "The Emperor sends his regards."
I tilted my head, considering his words carefully. "And what does His Majesty want from the disgraced fiancée of the High General?"
His lips twitched, but he quickly masked the discomfort. "His Majesty recognizes your... resilience in the face of adversity. He regrets what occurred."
I tilted my head slightly to the side. "Regret doesn't suit an Emperor." My voice dripped with cold disdain. "Does he also regret allowing vermin to rise so close to his throne?"
The aide flinched, and I could see his nerves begin to show. Good.
"Lady Katerina," he continued, trying to regain some composure, "You've always been an asset, just as your father was to the Empire. The Emperor wishes to ensure that this... event doesn't push you into unfortunate alliances."
I could feel it then, the hidden offer behind his words. They were terrified. And I was enjoying every moment of it.
I smiled with saccharine grace. "How thoughtful."
His lips pressed into a thin line, clearly understanding what I was hinting at. I wasn't just some broken woman who needed saving. I wasn't here to be a tool or a pawn for the Emperor's schemes. They wanted me, yes, but they had no idea what they were truly dealing with. I wasn't a girl to be married off anymore. I was the storm they couldn't contain, and they had no choice but to try and buy my favor before I chose to turn on them.
Sophie walked behind me, the soft rustle of her skirts barely audible in the silence that followed. The aide's gaze lingered on me a moment longer before he cleared his throat. "Please consider His Majesty's offer, Lady Katerina. The Empire needs you."
I gave him a fleeting glance. "I'll consider it."
With that, I turned, the click of my heels the only sound as I walked away. Outside the palace, the air was colder, but still, there was fire in my chest. This was just the beginning. I could taste the power I was amassing, and it tasted so much sweeter than I had imagined.
The moonlight bathed the gardens in a haunting glow. I walked back through the sprawling paths, my thoughts as sharp as the night air. My fingers twitched, the raw energy of the evening coursing through me.
Sophie followed, trying to catch up, her footsteps hurried. "Lady Katerina, there's something else. Kael—"
"I already know," I said, cutting her off. "You did well."
I entered my chambers, the room still warm from the fire I had left burning. The tranquility of the space was a stark contrast to the storm brewing within me. The curtains danced lightly in the breeze, the scent of wood and wine filling the air. I removed my gown slowly, savoring the feeling of shedding the skin of someone who used to beg for affection.
As I set my gown aside, something caught my eye. A letter. It was neatly placed on my desk. No wax. No name.
I paused, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. My fingers hovered over the paper as I reached for it, unfolding it with careful precision. The handwriting was familiar. Bold. Sharp. And deliberate.
"You lit the match tonight, my lady. But some fires were never meant to be controlled."
My pulse quickened. I spun around, but there was no one there. Only the firelight flickering softly in the hearth. But I knew...
He was here.
The shadow. The one who watched me from the dark. He was close. And the game had only just begun.
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
Kael stormed into his chamber, ripping off his cravat like it choked him. The sound of whispers still echoed in his ears. The stares, the judgment, her eyes looking at him with cold, cutting disdain. He cursed under his breath, his hands trembling with rage... and something far darker gnawing at his soul. A cold dread that sank deeper with each passing second.
He had prepared for every whisper, every rumor, every dagger aimed at his back. But not this.
Not her.
Not Katerina.
She was supposed to fall apart. She was supposed to be broken. He had crushed her once, and now... now she was the one turning the blade.
His mind reeled, the room spinning as he screamed in fury. "She was mine," he hissed. "She was meant to fall." But his voice faltered as he laughed bitterly. "I broke her... I broke her..."
He gripped the mantel of the fireplace, eyes wild. His gaze fell upon another piece of parchment, folded neatly beside the candelabra. The edges were singed by the firelight, but it still remained intact.
"You stole what was mine. I've returned to collect. Sleep with one eye open, General."
Kael froze. The words cut deeper than any blade, their cold finality sinking into his chest.
His hands shook as he reread the note. Again. Again. And again. Hoping, praying that it would change.
But it didn't.
His blood ran cold as ice.
Kael wasn't just losing Katerina.
He was being hunted.