TIGHTENING THE DEFENCE

FABIAN'S POV

When Fabian arrived at the enforcer's office, he looked shaken and in a hurry. Claudio had gone out to discuss matters of the guards with Duchess Lenora. As I stood across from Cedric, there was an intensity in his eyes that I had only seen a few times before, and it instantly made me tense. He was not the kind of man to be rattled easily, so if he were this unsettled, something big had happened and I could feel it in the way the air seemed to hum with unspoken urgency.

"Fabian," he says, his voice low but commanding. "I need you to go to Elisera. This can't wait any longer."

I met his gaze, trying to read the full extent of his worry. "What's going on?" I asked my voice steady despite the uneasy feeling building in my chest.