Chapter 59: Chapter 60: the planned removal

Elara’s POV

I walked through the corridors toward the royal study, my footsteps echoing on the stone floor. Behind me, I could still hear the commotion from the council chamber. Servants rushing to help move Malakor. Council members whispering to each other in hushed, urgent tones. The palace already beginning to buzz with news of what had just happened.

Let them talk. Let them whisper. Let them spend the dayt trying to figure out what this meant, who would rise, who would fall, where the power would settle now.

None of that mattered right now. What mattered was the man who I had to meet in the study. The man I had just made the second most powerful person in my court.

The heavy door of the study closed behind me with a solid thud that seemed to cut off the noise from the rest of the palace. Silence. Blessed silence. I moved to the window and looked out over the palace grounds bathed in evening light. From here, I could see the training yard where guards practiced their drills. I thought of Kaelen when I saw the guards training but immediately, I shut out that thought and instead thought of the gardens where I used to walk with my parents before they died. Beyond that, the walls that separated the palace from the city.

My kingdom. My responsibility. My burden.

And now, my unborn child.

I pressed my hand against my stomach. Still flat. No sign yet of what was growing inside me. But it was there. Real. Undeniable. Changing everything whether I was ready for it or not.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I let my hand drop, composed my face into the mask I wore for everyone.

“Enter.”

Lord Corvus stepped inside, closing the door carefully behind him. He stood just inside the threshold, and for the first time since I’d known him, he looked uncertain. Not the confident investigator who had uncovered Valerium’s secrets. Not the neutral council member who had sat quietly through meetings. Just a man who had been thrust into a position he had never sought.

“Your Majesty.” He bowed. “Thank you for seeing me.”

“Sit, Lord Corvus.”

He moved to one of the chairs near the desk, settling into it carefully. I turned from the window and moved to sit across from him. Not behind the desk. That would create too much distance. I needed him to understand that this was not about power games right now.

He waited for me to speak first. Smart man.

“I imagine you’re wondering why I chose you,” I said.

He let out a breath that might have been a laugh, might have been relief. “The thought had crossed my mind, Your Majesty. Several times in the past hour.”

“And what conclusions did you reach?”

“Honestly?” He met my eyes directly. “I have no idea. I’ve never been particularly political. Never sought power or position beyond my seat on the council. Never challenged Lord Malakor openly. Never tried to build alliances or gather influence.” He paused. “So either you see something in me that I don’t see in myself, or this is some elaborate trap I’m too stupid to recognize.”

I almost smiled at that. Almost. “It’s not a trap.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s a gamble.” I leaned back in my chair, studying him. “Lord Malakor was many things. Experienced. Knowledgeable. Dedicated to what he believed were Dravara’s interests. He served my family for years, and I won’t pretend that counts for nothing.”

I paused, choosing my words carefully.

“But he was also deeply invested in controlling how I ruled. Every piece of advice came with strings attached. Every recommendation served his vision of what my reign should be, not mine. He didn’t want a queen who thought for herself. He wanted a queen he could guide, direct, manage.”

Corvus nodded slowly. “And you believe I won’t do the same?”

“I believe you’re capable of separating your opinions from your duty.” I leaned forward slightly. “Do you remember three weeks ago? When you brought me the information on Valerium?”

Surprise flickered across features he’d been keeping carefully neutral.

“I remember, Your Majesty.”

Three weeks ago. Late afternoon. The palace had been preparing for Thorin’s visit, and Malakor had been in his element, orchestrating every detail, ensuring everything would unfold exactly as he envisioned. I’d been in this same study, reviewing the formal proposal Valerium had sent ahead, trying to find anything in it that didn’t feel like a noose disguised as a necklace.

The knock had been soft. Hesitant. Not the firm rap of someone confident in their right to interrupt a queen.

“Enter.”

Corvus had stepped inside, and I remember being surprised. He rarely sought private audiences. Rarely spoke up in council unless directly asked. He was the kind of man who observed more than he participated, who listened more than he talked.

“Your Majesty.” He’d bowed, his face giving away nothing. “I apologize for the intrusion. I know you’re preparing for King Thorin’s arrival.”

“What is it, Lord Corvus?”

He’d hesitated then. Actually hesitated, like he was weighing whether to speak at all. And that hesitation had made me pay attention in a way I hadn’t been paying attention before.

“I have information,” he’d said finally. “About Valerium. About King Thorin specifically.” Another pause. “Information that I believe you should have before his arrival.”

I’d set down the proposal I’d been reading. “Lord Malakor briefed me extensively on Valerium. Are you suggesting he missed something?”

“I’m suggesting he may have… focused on certain aspects while overlooking others.” Corvus had moved closer, pulling a sealed folder from inside his coat. “Your Majesty, I took the liberty of conducting my own inquiries. Quietly. Through contacts I’ve developed over the years in merchant circles.”

That had surprised me. Corvus conducting his own investigation? Without Malakor’s knowledge or approval?

“You conducted an independent investigation into a foreign power without informing the Chief Advisor?” I’d kept my voice neutral, but I’d been impressed. And concerned. Depending on what he’d found, this could be exactly what I needed or exactly the kind of thing that would give Malakor grounds to have him removed from the council.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” No apology. No justification. Just acknowledgment. “I believed you deserved unfiltered information. Information not shaped by Lord Malakor’s… preferences regarding the alliance.”

I’d studied him for a long moment. “Show me.”

He’d opened the folder. Inside were letters, financial records, reports from merchants who’d done business in Valerium over the past two years. Evidence of declining exports. Documentation of payment difficulties with the treasury. Correspondence noting unusual military movements, garrisons being consolidated, signs of internal unrest.

“King Thorin’s position is not as strong as Lord Malakor has suggested,” Corvus had said quietly. “Valerium has faced two failed harvests. Their economy is strained. There are factions within his own court questioning his decisions, possibly his legitimacy.” He’d pointed to one particular document. “This is from a merchant who witnessed a confrontation between Thorin and one of his nobles. Accusations of favoritism, of poor resource management, of weakening Valerium’s position through expensive military campaigns that yielded little return.”

I’d read through the documents carefully. Each piece of information on its own might have been dismissed as rumor or exaggeration. But together, they painted a clear picture: Valerium was not offering alliance from strength. They were seeking it from necessity.

“Why bring this to me?” I’d asked. “Why not present it to the council? Why not share it with Lord Malakor first?”

Corvus had met my eyes then, and I’d seen something in his expression I hadn’t expected. Not ambition. Not calculation. Just… conscience.

“Because Lord Malakor wants this marriage to happen. He believes it serves Dravara’s interests. And any information that complicates that narrative…” Corvus had chosen his words carefully. “…would likely be reframed or dismissed. I thought you should have the complete picture before making decisions that will affect your reign for years to come.”

“This could be seen as undermining the Chief Advisor. As conducting unauthorized intelligence operations. As overstepping your position on the council.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It could be seen that way.”

“And yet you did it anyway.”

“Yes.”

I’d looked down at the documents again. At the proof that everything Malakor had been telling me about Thorin’s “generous” proposal was built on incomplete information. That the marriage alliance was not about strengthening both kingdoms equally, but about Thorin shoring up his own weakened position by gaining access to Dravara’s resources.

“Does anyone else know about this?” I’d asked.

“No, Your Majesty. Only you.”

“Keep it that way.” I’d looked up at him. “For now.”

He’d bowed. “As you wish. Your Majesty… I want to be clear. I’m not trying to influence your decision about King Thorin. Whether you accept his proposal or not is entirely your choice. I just wanted you to have accurate information to base that choice on.”

“Thank you, Lord Corvus.” I’d meant it. “This is exactly what I needed.”

After he’d left, I’d sat alone with those documents for hours. Reading them over and over. Understanding that Malakor hadn’t just failed to tell me the complete truth. He’d actively shaped the information I received to support the outcome he wanted.

That was the moment I’d realized more than ever that I needed people around me who would give me truth, not management.

That was the moment I’d begun planning Malakor’s removal.

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