Crowned in Crimson Cinders

Chapter 21: The Traitor

My knuckles rapped softly on the heavy oak door. From within, a sharp, disembodied voice cut through the silence."What!""It's me," I responded, my own voice low, almost a murmur against the polished wood. "I have information."A beat of silence stretched, then, "Enter."I pushed the door open just enough to slip through, my gaze immediately drawn to the figure standing with her back to me. She was a silhouette against the two vast, arched windows, gazing out at a world I could not see. A leather-bound notebook rested in her lap, a pen clutched in her right hand. As I moved, I caught a fleeting glimpse over her shoulder—a list, meticulously scribbled, its contents an inscrutable blur."What news do you bring?" Her voice was devoid of warmth, a cool current in the shadowed room. Even as she spoke, the pen moved, adding another unseen entry to her ledger of secrets."They're planning to interrogate the prisoners," I reported, the words feeling like stones in my mouth. "Tomorrow night. In the dungeons."She gave a curt nod, a subtle acknowledgment. The notebook snapped shut, its soft thud echoing in the quiet room before she tossed it onto a desk beside her. Slowly, deliberately, she turned.Her eyes, shadowed and unreadable, met mine. "And who among them intends to descend into the darkness?""All three, it seems," I said, a bitter edge to my tone as I forced out the next words. "That Trithian scum insisted on joining them."A low, guttural chuckle escaped her, a sound devoid of amusement. It was cold, calculating. She took a step closer, her gaze sharp, piercing. "It's a pathetic sight, isn't it? His infatuation. Truly remarkable that he finds anything about her remotely appealing."Confusion flickered through me before the meaning clicked into place, chilling me. "You believe Darian is falling for the Princess?"Her laughter died abruptly. Her eyes, suddenly intense, locked onto mine. "Isn't it glaringly obvious? The way he always 'suggests' accompanying her, seizing every opportunity to speak with her? I even witnessed them in the gardens a few days ago. He gave her a rose. How... poetic of him."The revelation settled like a cold stone in my gut. I had never allowed myself to consider such a possibility—that Darian, the enemy prince, could truly harbor feelings for her. Or, more disturbingly, that she could reciprocate.However, what struck me more was how my boss was acting now as she spoke of Darian and Aleah. If I didn't know any better, she sounded almost... jealous of Aleah. "Does she... does she love him too?" I heard myself ask the question in a stark whisper.She drew a deep, rattling breath, then exhaled slowly. "I don't know. She has always been... an impediment. But if I were forced to guess, I'd say most certainly, yes. Now, do you have anything else for me?"For a fleeting, agonizing moment, a tremor of doubt ran through me. What I was doing felt profoundly, terribly wrong. To orchestrate an end that stole a life, the life of someone loved, someone cherished, even by a princess...Yet, the flicker of weakness vanished, extinguished by the relentless fire of my conviction. Every time the question gnawed at me, I silenced it with the same brutal truth. This is for the good of my people. If the royals, if the Princess herself, were blind to the path of true justice, then I would be the one to carve it out. Prince Darian would atone for the suffering he had inflicted upon my people. And I would relish the knowledge that I was the instrument of his downfall."No," I finally stated, turning towards the door. But her voice, sharp and authoritative, sliced through the air, stopping me cold."Should you fail me," she said, her voice dropping to a silken, deadly whisper, "or even consider betraying me and our sacred mission... your funeral will be the very next, after Breya's."A glacial shiver traced its way down my spine, but I refused to let it show. My posture stiffened, my chin rising in defiance. "I will never betray you, nor our mission. My loyalty belongs to Atalar, and to anyone willing to strive for our resurgence."A faint, almost imperceptible curve touched her lips—a smile. She made a dismissive gesture with her hand, a silent command for me to leave. I took the invitation, stepping out into the cold, empty halls of the castle, the weight of the night's grim pact settling upon me.