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Chapter 20 - Plan of ACTION!

The safehouse kitchen was dimly lit, casting shadows across the faces of the four gathered around the table. Madison, Xavier, Anna, and Will sat in tense silence, each of them bearing the weight of what had happened and the stakes of what lay ahead. The coronation was only days away, and the looming threat of a traitor hung over them like a shadow.

Xavier's gaze swept over each of them, and he broke the silence first. "We need a plan. The coronation isn't just about ceremony anymore—it's a show of strength. They're expecting to see us falter, but we need to be unshakable."

Madison's eyes flickered toward Will's hand, noticing the gleam of a ring on his finger. Her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly masked her reaction, her face remaining calm and focused. Anna caught the same detail, her gaze lingering just a moment too long, and though she didn't say anything, her eyes held a question. The ring was unmistakable; it was Xavier's family heirloom, and seeing it on Will's finger silently conveyed a message she hadn't expected.

Will felt their gazes, and his pulse quickened. He hadn't had a chance to address the ring, to understand what it meant—whether it was merely symbolic or something more. Every time he looked at it, a tangle of confusion and anxiety twisted in his chest, each thought colliding with the next. Did Xavier mean this as part of their strategy? Or was it a silent admission of something deeper? He couldn't shake the overwhelming sense that the ring held a weight he wasn't prepared to carry.

But he forced himself to stay composed, steadying his voice as he spoke. "The coronation will put us in the spotlight, but it can work to our advantage. If the traitor is watching us, we need to make it look like everything is under control."

Xavier nodded, his gaze steady on Will. "Exactly. I'll need you with me, Will—by my side through the entire ceremony. We'll give them no reason to doubt our unity."

Will gave a tight nod, feeling both the weight of the responsibility and the unsettling sense of uncertainty about his place in all of this. His hand drifted instinctively to the ring, the cool metal against his skin sending a shiver through him. The gesture felt natural, but the implications left him reeling inside. *What does this mean? Why give me something so significant, so personal, when I can't even understand if it's duty or something real?*

Madison cleared her throat softly, bringing him back to the moment. "We have to keep a close watch on everyone during the coronation. If the traitor was bold enough to arrange a kidnapping, they're going to be looking for any sign of weakness. We can't give them a single one."

Anna's gaze drifted back to the ring for a fraction of a second before she spoke, her tone as calm as ever. "Then we use the coronation to flush them out. If we create a small vulnerability, a crack in the alliance, they'll take the bait. It'll give us the chance we need to identify them."

Xavier leaned forward, hands clasped on the table, his voice resolute. "Exactly. If we create the appearance of a potential fracture, they'll feel emboldened. But we can't let our guard down for even a moment."

Will forced himself to focus on the conversation, pushing down the storm of emotions threatening to surface. His mind kept drifting back to the ring, to the way Xavier's hand had lingered on his when he'd noticed it that morning, the intensity of his gaze. The lines between duty and something more were blurring, and Will was left grasping at any certainty he could find.

He felt Madison's eyes on him again, quiet but observant, and Anna's gaze held the same curiosity. They were noticing everything, picking up on every unspoken gesture, yet they remained silent, each of them processing the new dynamic that seemed to hang between Will and Xavier. He knew he couldn't explain it to them, not when he barely understood it himself.

Xavier continued, unaware of the silent exchange happening around the table. "I'll need each of you close during the coronation. No one else can know about the kidnapping, and we'll use this as our chance to identify the traitor."

Madison nodded, her expression turning resolute. "I'll stay near Anna. We'll be on the lookout for anyone who seems out of place or too interested in the ceremony."

Anna's gaze settled on Will, her eyes flickering with a hint of reassurance. "This is your moment, Will. You and Xavier need to look unbreakable, like a single unit." She spoke with a faint smile, her tone calm, but her eyes held a knowing look, acknowledging the pressure of the role he was about to take on.

Will swallowed, the weight of the ring pressing heavily on him as he nodded. "I'll be ready," he managed, his voice steady despite the turmoil raging inside him. He forced himself to meet Xavier's gaze, feeling the intensity there, the silent promise that bound them together in this charade—or was it more?

Xavier's hand rested briefly on Will's shoulder, a silent reassurance, a gesture of solidarity. Will's heart pounded, caught between the responsibility he felt and the quiet confusion growing within him. He could barely think straight, his mind tangled with questions, with emotions he wasn't prepared to face. He couldn't decipher if Xavier's touch, his presence, the ring, meant something beyond what was expected of them, and the not knowing left him feeling unsteady, like he was balancing on a thin edge.

Xavier's voice cut through his thoughts, grounding him. "Together, we'll handle this. And when the time comes, we'll confront whoever is trying to tear this alliance apart."

The four exchanged a final look, a silent understanding passing between them. They would face the coronation, the traitor, and whatever dangers lay ahead, but each of them was aware of the complex, silent bonds tying them together, bonds that went beyond duty, beyond mere alliance. And for Will, that realization only deepened his confusion as he glanced down once more at the ring, wondering if he'd ever truly understand what it—and Xavier—meant to him.