Chapter 130: Chapter-130

“Viscount Marrs,” Elara said quietly. “I made a deal with her. She agreed to neutrality in exchange for me not exposing her assassination funding. She’s breaking that agreement.”

“Or someone made her a better offer,” Duke Romian said. “The First Consort, probably. Or Eleana, trying to salvage her position after her mother’s arrest.”

“Doesn’t matter. Marrs broke our agreement. That voids the arrangement entirely.” Elara made notes. “After we save Port Crestfall, I’m destroying all three of them. Veltri, Hadrian, Marrs. Complete elimination.”

“That’s a lot of enemies to make.”

“They made themselves my enemies by attacking my city. I’m just responding appropriately.” She continued planning. “The beast knights arrive in two days. Duke Romian’s forces arrive in six. The question is what we do from here in the capital while the battle happens three hundred miles away.”

Helena spoke up from the doorway. “I can help with intelligence. My merchant contacts extend to Port Crestfall. I can get real-time information about the siege, troop movements, civilian casualties.”

“Do it. Coordinate with Dimitri and Mira—they’re still in the city and probably coordinating the defense with Gregor.”

“Already sending messages.”

Elara looked at the map, calculating probabilities, running scenarios.

Port Crestfall was under siege. Fifty beast knights were running through the night to break it. Three hundred regular soldiers would follow in six days.

Meanwhile, in the capital, the First Consort was arrested, Eleana’s position was compromised, and the succession battle was accelerating toward some kind of climax.

“We’re fighting on two fronts,” Duke Romian observed. “Port Crestfall and the capital. That’s strategically difficult.”

“Yes. But necessary. Port Crestfall is my economic base. The capital is my political position. I can’t abandon either without losing everything.” Elara stood. “Which means we work twice as hard. Coordinate both battles simultaneously. Win on both fronts or lose everything.”

“That’s ambitious.”

“It’s survival.”

A third message arrived. This one from an unexpected source.

Fourth Sister,

I’m watching the siege of Port Crestfall with interest. You have two days before your beast knights arrive. Three days before the city falls if the attackers press hard.

I could help. I have resources in that region. Forces that could reinforce your position. But assistance comes with a price.

Meet me tonight. Midnight. The eastern gardens. Come alone.

We have much to discuss.

—Third Sister Sera

Elara read it twice. Then showed it to Duke Romian.

“It’s a trap,” he said immediately. “Sera doesn’t help without ulterior motive. She wants something from you that’s worth more than whatever help she’s offering.”

“Probably. But she also has resources I need. If she can actually reinforce Port Crestfall before it falls, that’s worth hearing her terms.”

“You’re seriously considering this?”

“I’m calculating cost-benefit. Port Crestfall is worth more than whatever Sera might demand. And if she tries to trap me, I bring sufficient protection to extract safely.”

“She said come alone.”

“She can say whatever she wants. I’m bringing the fox knight—no, wait, he’s en route to Port Crestfall.” Elara thought. “I’ll bring two beast knights from the remaining unit. Positioned close but not visible. If Sera tries anything, they extract me immediately.”

“I don’t like this.”

“Noted. But I’m going anyway. Sera has been offering alliance since the wedding. This might be her formal proposal. I need to at least hear it.”

Duke Romian sighed. “Fine. But I’m positioning my personal guards around the eastern gardens. If you signal distress, they move in.”

“Acceptable.”

That night, at eleven forty-five, Elara walked toward the eastern gardens wearing her white suit and carrying a concealed signal crystal.

Two beast knights shadowed her from a distance. Duke Romian’s guards took positions around the garden perimeter.

Sera was already there, standing near the fountain, wearing dark robes that made her almost invisible in the shadows.

“Fourth Sister,” she said quietly. “Thank you for coming.”

“You said you could help with Port Crestfall. I’m listening.”

“Direct as always. I appreciate that.” Sera walked closer. “Yes, I can help. I have thirty mercenaries positioned near Port Crestfall—combat mages and siege specialists. They can reinforce your city tonight, arrive before dawn, break the siege before your beast knights even get there.”

“In exchange for what?”

“Alliance. Real alliance. Not vague promises or temporary cooperation. I want formal partnership—we combine our resources, coordinate our strategies, and work together to win the succession battle.”

“Against Eleana?”

“Against everyone. Eleana is damaged now that her mother’s been arrested. The younger sisters are weak. The other candidates are irrelevant. That leaves you and me as the strongest remaining competitors.” Sera’s eyes gleamed in the darkness. “I propose we eliminate all other threats together, then negotiate final succession between ourselves afterward.”

“That’s a significant commitment.”

“Yes. But consider the benefits. Your commercial wealth combined with my intelligence networks. Your beast knight loyalty combined with my mercenary forces. Your practical efficiency combined with my strategic subtlety. We’d be unstoppable.”

Elara processed this. “What happens after we eliminate the other candidates? When it’s just you and me competing for the throne?”

“Then we compete fairly. Best woman wins. But we’ll have eliminated everyone else, so whoever wins actually deserves it instead of just surviving through luck.”

“And if I win, you accept that outcome?”

“If you win legitimately, yes. And if I win, you accept it too.”

“How do I know you’ll honor that agreement?”

Sera smiled. “You don’t. Just like I don’t know if you’ll honor it. That’s what makes this interesting. We’re both strategic thinkers. Both understand that broken promises destroy credibility. Both have incentive to keep our word.”

“But you’ve tried to kill me. At least three assassination attempts traced back to your network.”

“Four, actually. But I also blocked six attempts from other sources. Including two from the First Consort that would have succeeded if I hadn’t interfered.” Sera pulled out documents. “Proof. I’ve been protecting you almost as much as attacking you.”

Elara read through the documents. They detailed assassination contracts, including ones she’d never known about. Sera’s evidence showed she’d redirected killers, warned targets, and even eliminated assassins who’d gotten too close.

“Why protect me if you were also trying to kill me?”

“Because I wanted to test you. See if you were strong enough to survive real threats. The assassins I sent were survivable tests. The ones I blocked were existential threats you wouldn’t have seen coming.” Sera leaned forward. “I’ve been evaluating you for six months, Elara. Watching how you think, how you operate, how you build power. And I’ve concluded you’re the only other candidate worth allying with.”

“What about the others? Eleana, the younger sisters?”

“Eleana is predictable. Strong but conventional. She’ll maintain the existing system because change threatens her position. The younger sisters are irrelevant—they’ll follow whoever seems strongest. You’re different. You actually want to reform things. That makes you dangerous to the status quo. And valuable as an ally.”

“You want to reform things too?”

“I want to build better systems. More efficient governance. Less corruption. Stronger empire.” Sera’s voice was intense. “I’ve been planning reforms for years. Civilian rights, commercial regulations, administrative improvements. But I can’t implement them alone—the noble families would unite against me. With you as ally, combining beast knight liberation with my civilian reforms? We’d have enough popular support to overcome aristocratic resistance.”

Elara studied her sister’s face in the darkness. Looking for deception, hidden motives, ulterior plans.

But all she saw was genuine intensity. Sera believed what she was saying.

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