The Harcourt estate was in chaos.
Servants whispered frantically in the corridors. Guards stormed in and out of the halls like a flood released from the dam. Somewhere in the west wing, glass shattered as a furious Edward Harcourt swept his arm across a table, sending priceless vases crashing to the floor.
"She's gone?" he spat, glaring at the trembling servant before him. "You were standing right there. How did you not see her leave?"
The servant stammered something incoherent.
Edward turned away, teeth clenched, fists trembling with fury. "Useless."
He stormed into the grand study, where Victor waited. The advisor bowed stiffly, a scroll clutched in his gloved hand.
"We've confirmed it," Victor said. "She fled sometime before dawn. Alone, or with assistance — we're still investigating. There are no signs of forced entry or struggle."
Edward's eyes narrowed. "No signs? Then someone let her out."
Victor inclined his head. "That's what I suspect. She couldn't have breached this estate on her own, not with the enchantments in place. Someone helped her — someone who knew the grounds, the patrols, the timing."
Edward crossed the room, stopped at the window, and stared out into the stormy morning. "And who would know all that?"
Victor didn't answer immediately.
Edward turned sharply. "Victor. Who?"
Victor's lips tightened. "There is... one possibility."
Edward's eyes darkened. "Say it."
"Asher."
The name hung in the air like smoke.
Edward's jaw clenched. "He was assigned to end her life. He was the final link. If he had done what he was ordered to, none of this would be happening."
Victor nodded slowly. "But Asher is gone. Disappeared at the same time as the girl. His chambers are empty. No sign of struggle, no message left behind."
Edward's voice dropped, ice cold. "So he ran."
"It appears so."
Edward paced the room. "I want every outpost, every village watched. If Asher betrayed us... if he took her..."
He stopped mid-sentence, fists clenched. "We trusted him. I trusted him."
Victor said nothing, but his silence was confirmation enough.
Just then, the door opened, and the king entered. Tall, regal, and cloaked in black and crimson, King Harcourt filled the room with his presence. His piercing eyes, a colder version of Edward's, swept over them.
"I assume this is about the girl," he said.
Edward stiffened. "Yes, Father. She's escaped. And Asher is missing."
A beat of silence passed.
The king's expression remained neutral, but his gaze sharpened. "Then it seems we have two problems. Solve them. Before they become three."
"We're working on it," Edward said grimly. "But if Asher has turned traitor—"
"Then he's not just a threat," the king interrupted. "He's an embarrassment."
The queen entered quietly, her silver gown flowing like smoke. She leaned against the doorframe, eyes gleaming. "The boy was always too soft. We knew this could happen. That's why we kept his sister."
Edward's head snapped up. "She's still under lock?"
The queen smiled faintly. "She hasn't moved. But perhaps it's time we reminded Asher what's at stake."
Victor's voice was low. "If he's with the girl, he won't come back easily. Not unless we force his hand."
The king's expression turned cold. "Then force it."