It was just before everything turned to chaos—before the tournament changed their lives.
On one of those quiet days, Austin sat in his office while Valerie rested on the couch nearby.
They were working together. Valerie was helping him prepare a record of all the goods that had been transported from different cities to the capital—the dates, the routes, and the estimated costs, based on the data Austin had given her.
Most of Austin's tasks were small things. Simple work, the kind that could easily be done by someone else. And even if it wasn't, it didn't really make a difference to the bigger picture of the administration.
Still, he never complained. He did what he could—because deep down, he wanted to be seen as part of the family.
But no matter how much he did, a thought quietly stayed with him:
Once Adrian was gone... would they still let him stay?
Would they still call him a Prince? Or would that title be taken from him too?
He didn't have an answer.
