Chapter 36: The Grand Duke Enters the Lower Vault (3)

I saw that too and so did Abi.

The Crown Prince inhaled slowly through his nose. His expression returned to normal with impressive speed. "I was only cold for a moment."

"Of course," I said.

The empress looked at me.

I met her eyes, and raised a brow.

She knew I had seen. She knew I knew it was not the cold.

How nice. Now we were finally getting somewhere.

I turned back to the relic. "You can close the box now."

Marcellus hesitated.

Earlier, he had been eager to close it.

Now, when I told him to, he paused.

Talk about slipping up at the most inconvenient time. For him.

For me though, it was very convenient. I hope he slipped up even more.

Perhaps because of the closed off surroundings and our close proximity with each other, everyone saw Marcellus’ blunder.

How lovely.

The keeper finally closed the lid, and the wards rose again, one by one. The warmth vanished and the cold returned.

The Crown Prince’s color improved a little but now there was no longer any doubt.

That fragment, whatever it was, had reacted to him. Or he had reacted to it.

Either possibility was troubling. Which meant both were likely.

"Your Majesty," I said, "I would like copies of every record connected to this relic."

Marcellus immediately said, "Impossible."

The empress spoke over him. "Granted."

The keeper went still. Probably felt betrayed by his boss.

Serves him right.

The Crown Prince looked at his mother.

"Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty."

Her eyes were calm. "You said the relic should not remain in incompetent hands. Consider this a test of whether yours are more capable."

"Your Majesty flatters me."

"I am not flattering you."

"Then Your Majesty is wise."

This time, she smiled properly.

"I will expect results then."

Ah. So this was also a commission. A challenge of sorts. Probably riddled with traps.

Marvelous.

"I charge high consultation fees," I said.

"The empire is not poor, Your Excellency."

I thought of the imperial treasury compared to mine and smiled kindly.

"I see. That is adorable."

The empress, to her credit, merely lifted one brow to my harmless remark. "We shall survive the expense."

"Let us hope so."

The rest of the viewing proceeded with much heavier silence.

We examined additional fragments, though nothing reacted as strongly as the black-gold shard. There were more records of sealed places, old scrolls about hostile entities referred to by names that had been euphemized in later translations.

There were also several mentions of early theocratic envoys from the western holy lands, though most of their accounts had been damaged beyond immediate usefulness.

A pity.

I liked damaged puzzles, but only when I had time, tea, and no suspicious keeper breathing nearby. It makes me want to snuff out his breath to keep the air fresh.

By the time we returned to the central chamber, my mind had already arranged several threads.

The lower vault contained pre-imperial relics connected to the foundation site beneath the palace.

Some records referred to ancient enemies with borrowed voices.

Some phrases implied seals, witnesses, and something sleeping beneath gold.

The Crown Prince’s hidden condition reacted to the black-gold fragment.

Lord Keeper Marcellus knew more than he admitted.

The empress knew enough to invite me but not enough to solve the problem herself.

Abi recognized something and actually lied to me.

In summary, everyone was suspicious.

Except me.

I was delightful.

As we reached the vault door, the empress turned to me. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Your Excellency, I trust tonight has been worth your time."

"Quite. More than the ball."

The Crown Prince’s lips twitched again.

"I’ll take that as a high praise" the empress stated.

"No. I am merely being factual."

"That’ll do."

Marcellus opened the door. The corridor beyond felt warmer, lighter, and considerably less haunted by ancient insolence.

Before stepping out, the Crown Prince paused beside me.

His voice was quiet enough that only I and perhaps Abi could hear.

"You saw."

"Yes."

His jaw tightened. "Does Her Majesty know?"

"Yes."

His gaze flickered with pain, then anger, then resignation.

Poor boy.

No, not poor.

Still useful.

Still, that expression was unpleasant to see.

"Does everyone know?" he asked.

"No."

"How can you be certain?"

"Because if everyone knew, we wouldn’t be here and and are celebrating your death anniversary instead."

He looked at me, not offended in the least, then huffed a faint laugh. "That is not comforting to know."

"It was not meant to be."

"What was it meant to be?"

"It was meant to be accurate."

His shoulders eased slightly.

Hmm. He seemed to find accuracy more comforting than kindness.

Perhaps he had been fed too many sweet lies and was fed up with it. Such is a common palace diet.

"We will speak later," I said.

His eyes met mine.

"Will we?"

"If you remain alive, we will."

"How reassuring."

"That was an encouragement."

His mouth curved faintly. "Then I am grateful."

"Do not be. It ruins my reputation."

We stepped out of the lower vault.

The door closed behind us when the serpent key turned.

The old pulse vanished, but the sensation of being watched lingered a moment longer against the back of my neck.

I disliked it very much.

On the carriage ride back to the Elysian Estate, Abi was silent.

At first, I allowed it.

Then ten minutes passed.

Then fifteen.

By the twentieth minute, I turned toward him.

"What was it?"

He looked at me, expression unreadable.

"What was what?"

"The relic."

"I do not know."

"I didn’t know you were a capable liar."

His smile flickered.

"Aashadhar."

"Abinatha."

The air inside the carriage grew still.

He leaned back, gaze shifting toward the window. "I truly do not know what it is now."

"Now?"

A pause.

Then he said, "It feels like something I knew before it broke."

Before it broke. How vague.

How incredibly irritating.

"That is not an answer."

"It is the only one I have."

I studied him. For once, he did not seem to be teasing.

That made the answer worse.

Outside, the Capital glided past in lamps and shadows. Inside the carriage, the silence felt crowded.

"What did you remember?" I asked.

Abi closed his eyes briefly.

"Light," he said. "A field. Someone laughing. A war I do not want to name."

My fingers stilled. That sounded familiar.

So he had seen something too.

Or remembered something?

No. Absolutely not.

I was not involving myself in old emotional baggages tonight.

I had enough current baggage, including a suspicious child, a sick Crown Prince, a possibly hostile keeper, an empress with knives behind her smile, and now a relic that stirs things that I had no intention of acknowledging.

"Forget it for now," I said.

Abi opened his eyes and looked at me.

For a moment, he seemed almost sad.

Then his usual smile returned, bright and false.

"As you wish."

I did not like that one bit either.

When we returned to the estate, William was waiting.

Of course he was.

If I ever returned from the underworld, I suspected William would be there holding a towel and asking whether I wished for tea.

"Your Excellency," he greeted. "Lord Abinatha."

"Tea," I said.

"Already prepared, sire."

See? Wonderful old man.

"Also, increase our security."

William’s expression sharpened. "Was there trouble?"

"Not yet."

Abi snorted softly. "That means yes."

"Ignore him."

"I usually do, Your Excellency."

Abi gasped, betrayed once more.

I removed my gloves and handed them to a maid. "Where is Spiro?"

"Asleep. He waited until the ninth bell, but eventually retired."

"I will go check on him."

William bowed.

Abi did not follow this time. That was something to take note of.

I went to Spiro’s room quietly. The knight stationed outside bowed. I opened the door and found the boy asleep, curled beneath the covers with one hand resting near his notebook.

Writing in his diary again, huh. What a diligent child.

I was a little curious.

Still, I did not touch it.

I walked closer and looked down at him.

His face was peaceful tonight. No furrow between his brows and tightened fingers. And no quiet flinching.

The world outside his room was becoming increasingly complicated, but at least here, for now, he could sleep.

A small mercy. Not that I was merciful.

I was simply maintaining the well-being of my investment.

I adjusted his blanket.

Spiro murmured something too soft to understand.

Then, clearer, "Please... Don’t take me back..."

I stilled.

The room seemed colder. Yet his eyes remained closed.

Was it a dream?

No. Doesn’t sound like it.

A memory.

My expression did not change, but something inside me went very still.

So, someone could take him back.

And this someone was a person he feared.

Someone possibly connected to the North, a slave trader, a false caravan, and perhaps a house whose name he had not yet dared speak aloud.

I brushed a hand lightly over his hair.

"No one will take you away," I said quietly.

It was not a comfort but a decision on my part.

Spiro settled beneath the blanket, his breathing easing once more.

I left the room without another word.

William was waiting in the hall.

One look at my face and his expression hardened.

"Your Excellency?"

"Find the Boleoti steward."

"Alive?"

I smiled, "For now."

William bowed.

"As you command."

I returned to my study, where my tea waited and the night stretched ahead like an open ledger.

The lower vault had given me a lot of questions.

Spiro had warned me of possible present enemies.

The Crown Prince had given me a form of political leverage.

I sat behind my desk, removed the ring from my finger, and placed it before me.

Vita’s Tears shimmered inside its hidden space.

The poison had not been used. Not yet.

But tonight had proven one thing.

The future of the empire was not merely ill.

He was connected to something else entirely. Something unpleasant and ominous.

So was the palace and so was Sonomi.

And perhaps, disgustingly enough, so was I.

I leaned back and closed my eyes.

"How very impolite," I murmured.

If the past wanted my attention this much, the least it could do was send an appointment letter.