"The guard captain we suspected—the one with Khaviran connections—made contact with an unknown individual last night. One of our observers followed the contact to a merchant ship docked in the lower harbor. We're investigating the ship's cargo manifest now."
Elara swallowed another spoonful. "And the Third empress's servant?"
"She's been careful. No obvious contacts. But she's changed her routine three times this week—different routes to the market, different shops. Classic counter-surveillance behavior."
"She knows she's being watched."
"Most likely, Your Highness."
Elara tore off a piece of bread, thinking. "Increase surveillance but make it more obvious. Let her think we're too incompetent to hide it properly."
Demerti's pen paused. "Make her overconfident?"
