What's at Stake

Chapter Two

I unrumpled the note for the hundredth time, smoothing down the ink-blotted edges on the metal railing of the balcony attached to my room.

Find the hidden heir within Maiestas Regia.

I took in the words as a cool breeze rustled my hair and caused my bangs to fall over my face. I wish I could have said I was surprised, but I wasn't. In the back of my mind, I had known it was suspicious—the fact that my father agreed to the peace treaty so easily. The readiness in offering me up to study at Maiestas Regia. While it remained true that he didn't care about his youngest, useless daughter, he had finally found a purpose for her: planting me here as a spy.

Spies had to be unassuming, unexpected.

No one would expect the inferior Levant daughter to be a spy.

And he knew it.

What information did he receive to have reason to believe Claude wasn't the crown prince? Enough so that he would agree to a peace treaty solely to get me in here? How long had he had that information? Why hadn't he told me?

Well, not telling me had an obvious explanation—he didn't trust me. Had I known, I would have fought his decision, insisting that my sister come in my stead. He knew how to play his cards right. He knew if he waited to inform me of my true assignment until I arrived, I wouldn't be able to go against it. Contact between us was forbidden from the moment I stepped onto the grounds of Maiestas Regia. He knew I would have no choice but to obey, lest I receive punishment when I returned.

I flinched at the thought, my body automatically taking a step back from the edge of the balcony and shrinking in on itself. No, it wouldn't come to that. I subconsciously rubbed at the smooth, pink wounds hidden under the sleeves of my shirt. Finding a hidden heir sounded like an intimidating task, but it was one I could manage, no matter how averse I was to it. It required intelligence over brutality. I could seek out the true prince without hurting anyone.

What my father would do with that information though... I didn't have any idea. Even if I uncovered something, what would come of it? Could he start a war with that information? Was that his ultimate objective? Was that even possible? Was it something else? Would I be the cause of it if it came to that?

One step at a time, Cleo. There was no need for me to think that far ahead yet or panic. I would start by gathering information. I had to find the veracity of my father's claim first and foremost. He claimed Claude wasn't the crown prince, but I'd witnessed firsthand that his eyes had the Hue, and he held Sway. Claude had to be royalty. That information was a start, at least. Something I could report to my father with no repercussions if I couldn't find anything else in the time before I faced him again.

I should be happy that this was all my father wanted me to do, considering all the other alternatives he could have asked of me. This would be easy to do while also abiding by what Evander requested of me and the terms of the treaty in general. If I had any hope of uncovering a secret sibling of Claude, I had to start by getting close to him and investigating the history of the royal family for any discrepancies. My father had thought this out well.

An image of Claude's expression of contempt as he passed by me entered my mind, and I bit my lip. Befriending him would probably end up being the hardest part of all this. Growing up with the Levant family did me no favors in socialization. The most social interaction I had was with the replica vampires whom I apologized to before incapacitating them. And they couldn't even respond.

Sighing, I tore up the paper into scraps, wishing I had a lighter to ignite the remnants with. My father took a risk by sneaking the note into my luggage. I was lucky they hadn't searched my belongings. I didn't feel safe with it in my room, even torn up as it was now. I hunted around the balcony and figured the potted Rhapis palms were the best place to bury any evidence. I dug into the damp dirt and buried the paper underneath. I would dig it up later when I acquired something to burn it with.