The World Cannot Know

Chapter 55

Prince Sebastian 

As soon as Arney and Matthew stepped out the door, the room seemed to exhale. Their energy, loud and uncontainable, vanished with them. Arney's laughter echoed down the hall, and Matthew gave one last look over his shoulder, half-smiling, half-annoyed at something his friend had said. Then the door clicked shut, leaving a much quieter space behind.

I leaned back in my chair, watching Alice and Elizabeth. Alice still had that smirk on her face, like she was sitting on a secret, while Elizabeth looked more serious, poised as ever. I could feel the shift—this wasn't going to be light conversation anymore.

"So," I said, breaking the silence, "what do you two really want to talk about?"

Alice chuckled, leaning in like she was about to spill a juicy bit of gossip. "You always catch on quick, Sebastian. Now that the boys are off to their tavern mischief, I suppose we can get down to business."

Elizabeth's gaze met mine, her eyes sharper, more focused now. "We need to talk about what happens next," she said, her voice low but steady. "The castle. King Alden. And Louie."

I sighed, feeling the weight of her words settle in my chest. This was the conversation I had been avoiding for days, maybe even years. "Yeah," I muttered, rubbing my temples, trying to ease the tension that seemed to build whenever I thought about what was waiting for me back there. "I've been thinking about that. It's not something I can keep putting off."

Alice leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms with a playful, yet oddly perceptive smile. "So, what's the plan, Your Highness? March back into the castle and finally face your father?"

I huffed out a dry laugh, shaking my head. "If only it were that simple. Walking back in there without a plan is suicide. The minute I step foot in that castle, I'm walking into a war zone."

Elizabeth, always the voice of reason, nodded. "You can't return on kingdom's terms. They'll try to control the narrative, manipulate the court against you. You need leverage. Especially with Lord Gregory still in your father's midst."

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling for a moment as the weight of their words sank in. "Leverage," I repeated, my voice flat, already knowing how precarious that situation would be. "Lord Gregory has always been a problem. His influence over my father is stronger than ever, and if he gets a whiff that I'm trying to come back and reclaim my position, he'll do everything in his power to block it."

Elizabeth's eyes softened, though the sharpness of her logic remained. "Gregory will try to twist your return to his advantage. He'll poison the court against you, make sure your father sees you as a threat rather than an ally. He's most definitely already started. "

"And let's not forget," Alice chimed in, her voice more biting, "Gregory's got half the nobles in his pocket. Even if you somehow manage to sway King Alden, you'll be dealing with a whole court stacked against you."

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the tension coil tighter with every word. "I know," I admitted. "I just need to think of a plan."

Silence settled between us for a moment, and I could feel both of them watching me, waiting for some kind of solution.

"I'm not going back without conditions," I said, finally breaking the quiet. "If I return, I need my own power base. Get Gregory out of the castle and to get Katharina to leave. She was never my wife. "

Elizabeth's expression softened. "What about Louie?"

I sighed, the weight of it all pressing down on me. The thought of Louie, my son, trapped in a world he didn't ask for—it tore at me. He was innocent, caught in the crossfire of all this madness. Born into a life of power games and treachery, a pawn before he even understood what was happening.