POV: Amara Blackwood
I was standing by the open balcony, the night air brushing over my skin, when Commander Varrick entered with a face carved from stone.
"You're here about the breach," I said, not even looking at him.
"Yes, Your Grace. We have something... troubling."
I turned slowly to face him. "Tell me."
He hesitated only a moment. "The security feed around the royal chamber was disabled—manually. Not from the command center. From within the chamber wing itself."
I frowned. "Who has access?"
"Only five individuals, including yourself. But one trail went dark at the exact moment the breach happened—Classic Blackwood."
The name hit like a punch to my gut. "That's not possible. He—he pledged support to Chris. He stood with us."
"I believe he still might," Varrick said. "But there's a window in his whereabouts. Six minutes. And the stable master says Classic was never where he claimed."
I paced the room, heart pounding. If Classic was compromised… or worse, playing both sides...
"You haven't told Chris, have you?"
"No, not yet. I came to you first."
I appreciated that. "Don't. Not until we know more. Track Classic quietly. I want eyes on his every move—without him knowing. And… bring in Darius."
Varrick raised a brow. "You think he might be involved?"
"I don't know. But if there's one person who knows how Classic operates in the shadows, it's him."
As he turned to leave, I stopped him. "Wait. Have you found out how Skylar got in?"
He nodded grimly. "We believe she was smuggled through a hidden passage—one that hasn't been used in decades. It was sealed after the Blackwood Renovation War. Only someone with intimate knowledge of the castle's ancient layouts could've known about it."
Which narrowed the list. Skylar. Maybe Christiana. Or someone in the bloodline.
My blood ran cold.
"Find out who gave her that map," I ordered. "Interrogate the old architects if you must. And Commander…"
He stopped at the door.
"If Classic is involved, I want to hear it from your mouth. No one else's. Understand?"
He nodded. "Understood, Your Grace."
As the door closed behind him, I walked to the mirror and stared at myself.
This empire had no room for traitors. Not even if they shared your blood.