Harmonia Calendar 715, Thal 23 - Ashspire Estate, Elandor
Evening - Anton's Study
Favian sat across from me, posture straight, hands folded neatly on the desk.
His red eyes held mine.
He leaned forward, voice soft, as though he wasn't presenting a scheme, but an already known truth.
"We prepare the maid. She plays the victim. The baron's daughter remembers our crest. We make that crest belong to Adonis."
I held a cup in my hand, though I did not drink.
The wine didn't taste the same.
He continued, smooth as ever.
"We say the boy has been inappropriate with servants for months. The court likes a pattern."
My jaw tightened, voice sharp.
"Enough."
The silence stretched until I forced the words out.
"He is your brother."
I hated how weak it sounded.
Favian's lips curved, but the smile held no warmth.
His tone was firm.
"Gerard's son. Not yours."
The words landed.
Silence settled again.
My gaze drifted down to the desk.
I saw Gerard's hands, his perfect signature, his smile, the way people admired him. The way it all fell to me only after he died.
Not won.
Given.
And I had paid for that gift every day.
Favian's voice pulled me back, calm, almost gentle.
"We weigh a house, not a boy. We have an heir. We signed contracts with a heir in place. We drilled knights and servants to that order. Break the line, and cracks run through every wall we've built."
He gestured lightly toward the map pinned to the wall, as though the inked trade lines were proving his point.
"Talent stirs the hall. Oaths hold it. The boy awakened early by luck, perhaps fate. But fate does not keep vassals in their place. It won't feed our citizens."
His words flowed like a well-composed melody.
"The heir stands in the doorway of every deal. Merchants come because the heir receives them. Guilds answer because the heir remains the heir. A baron calls for a head, and the hall watches to see if a house can keep its own."
My fingers drummed once on the desk, a habit when I was in thought.
Favian paused to take a breath, then pressed on.
"Invest in what stands today. Not in a rumor of Gerard. Not in a bastard, no one knew last year. The people stand behind the heir who worked in full sight for years. They know that face. They have sworn to it."
His words cut sharper as he shifted the knife without moving.
"And him...keep him, and the servants gather at his back. The maids adore him. Gerard's old allies will watch. Nobles will whisper, 'What if Gerard had lived?' Every time he breathes, the lord of this house grows smaller in their eyes."
Favian leaned back, letting the weight of his words settle before he spoke again.
"The baron demands a head. We give the hall a lesson instead. We take the culprit by the neck and walk him out ourselves. We speak of law. We speak of duty. We request mercy. Strip him. Send him far away. He lives. But the hall learns that House Ashspire stands behind justice."
He softened his tone.
"Blood stays in memory. Exile fades. Winter comes. The hall will forget a face they never knew."
He leaned forward, red eyes steady on mine.
"Time is thin. The baron demands. The tribunal will act. We do not have days to weigh right and wrong. We have hours to end it clean."
His gaze did not move, voice firm.
"We choose the house. We choose the heir. We end it clean."
The chamber was silent again.
I wanted to speak.
I wanted to call the plan madness.
But I couldn't.
All I managed was a single nod.
***
Late Evening - Corridor
The corridor was silent, the glow of lightstones stretched thin across the walls.
I leaned into the wall's shadow and waited.
The steward left first, his footsteps fading down the hall until silence swallowed them.
Then came the voices.
Muffled, but sharp enough to cut through the door.
Favian's tone was low and smooth. Father's voice struck back, sharp and short. Between them, one name rang clear.
"Adonis."
My chest tightened as I murmured.
The knob clicked, and I hid.
The door opened, and Favian slipped out.
His stride was light, a satisfied smile curved his mouth.
That smile made my stomach twist.
I caught the door before it fully closed and stepped inside.
Father stood at the desk, one hand braced on its edge, the other holding a letter. His eyes didn't rise to meet mine.
I took a step forward, my voice firm.
"What was that about?"
His hand brushed the letter, voice cold, dismissive.
"Family business."
My voice rose.
"Adonis is family."
At that, Father's jaw clenched.
His eyes flicked up at me once, then dropped again to the letter.
He set it down on the desk.
Soft.
Final.
He didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
His silence said more than words.
I stood there, fists clenched, waiting for something more, but nothing came.
'Say something! Anything!'
The words were built in my mind but never left it.
'There is nothing more to gain.'
I turned. My steps carried me back into the corridor.
Thud.
The door shut behind me, the sound echoing harder than I intended.
'Something is going on. Adonis is in danger, I feel it.'
I walked before I knew the destination.
'If Father won't talk, then I need someone who will make him talk.'
My feet carried me down the corridor.
'Mother.'
***
Late Evening - Corridor
I had just left the banquet hall after overseeing the preparations for tomorrow.
My steps carried me back toward our chamber.
Then—
Lucien appeared down the corridor, walking fast, his face pale as he called for me.
"Mother."
My steps halted.
He came toward me, stopping close, his breath quick, voice urgent.
"They're planning something. I heard Adonis's name. I heard Favian. Father wouldn't tell me anything."
My breath caught at his words.
His voice pressed on, almost breaking, eyes locked to mine.
"Please. Find out what it is. Stop them."
I raised a hand to his cheek, skin warm beneath my touch, my voice came firm.
"I will."
He nodded.
I retracted my hand and walked on.
My steps carried me past the stairs, up to the third floor, through the long hall that led to our chamber.
My hand paused on the doorknob—a single breath.
Then I pushed it open.
Click.
Anton stood at the tall window. His shoulders broad, hands behind his back.
He didn't turn as the door clicked shut.
My voice slipped out low.
"What happened?"
He didn't answer, didn't even turn.
Step.
I took a step forward, the carpet soft beneath my feet, my voice a little higher.
"What are you doing to Adonis?"
His gaze stayed fixed on the glass, voice even.
"There is a matter in the family. It needs a name. Adonis will shoulder it. For the house."
'Lucien was right...'
My chest clenched.
"A tax matter? A ledger? Something small?"
His silence told me more than a yes ever could.
My words came louder than I meant.
"Why him?"
Anton's faint reflection looked at me, gaze steady.
"He's the best option."
I took another step, my hands trembling at my sides.
"He is a child. He trusts you."
Finally, his head turned, but not his body.
His tone was sharp.
"I have done what I must. The boy will take the blame. That's final."
My throat tightened at his gaze, but I forced the words out.
"If you do this...you will lose more than him. You will lose Lucien, Theodora, and me."
For a heartbeat, he was still.
Then he turned fully, his red eyes fixed on mine.
"Then I will pay that price."
I flinched at his gaze, my eyes lowered, hands trembling.
'Like always, I couldn't speak up before him.'
A long moment passed before I forced myself to look up again, my gaze lifting slowly to meet his.
I looked at him, the man I had married, and saw nothing of the boy I had once imagined him to be.
I saw the tool I had become.
I saw the girl I had been raised to nod, smile, and endure.
I hated it.
Step.
I turned before my voice broke, and left before I said something I could not take back.