The following days were a blur of whispered rumors and stolen moments. Kaelith kept his focus, his mind consumed by the investigation into Seraphine's secret loyalties. He moved like a shadow through the palace, his every action calculated, his eyes always scanning for signs of the truth.
Lord Aldric had proven invaluable. The information he provided was troubling, and it only deepened Kaelith's suspicions. Meetings in the dead of night. Letters sent to distant lands. But nothing direct—nothing that could condemn Seraphine.
Yet, Kaelith knew the truth was hidden in the details. He couldn't let up now. Not when the stakes were so high.
Seraphine, for her part, seemed oblivious to the growing tension between them. She maintained her composed exterior, even as Kaelith watched her from the corners of the palace, always lurking just out of sight. She was too perfect—too controlled.
The facade would break eventually.
One evening, as Kaelith lingered near the courtyard, he saw her leave the palace. She moved swiftly, her cloak billowing behind her. Without hesitation, he followed at a distance, heart pounding.
Seraphine led him through the darkened streets, her steps steady but purposeful. She seemed to know where she was going—her every move calculated, as if she expected something. Or someone.
As they approached the outskirts of the city, Kaelith's breath caught. A lone figure stood in the shadows, waiting. Seraphine's pace quickened, and she approached the man with a mixture of urgency and caution.
Kaelith's pulse quickened as he ducked behind a nearby building, his gaze never leaving the scene before him. The man spoke in low, hurried tones, his words unintelligible from this distance. But the way Seraphine reacted, the slight tension in her shoulders, made Kaelith's stomach churn.
They exchanged something—some sort of document—and then Seraphine turned, her face calm but unreadable. She walked away from the man without a word, and Kaelith watched her disappear into the night.
His heart hammered in his chest. The pieces were finally starting to come together. But the full picture still eluded him.
Seraphine was hiding something. And he was getting closer to uncovering it.
To be continued…
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