Chapter 7 Nothing In Return

ELENA

Nora’s movements were as predictable as the rising tide. I sat near the stone balustrade of the upper terrace, holding a warm porcelain cup of spiced tea, watching her glide across the manicured courtyard below. She wore a pale pink gown, soft and flowing, carefully tailored to make her look smaller, and fragile, like the picture of a sweet younger sister who needed protection.

She was making her way toward the eastern pavilion, where Lucian was reviewing a map with two of his battalion lieutenants.

In my first life, the sight of Nora slinking into Lucian’s space would have sent a spike of white-hot anxiety through my ribs. I would have rushed down the steps, inventing excuses to separate them, making myself look frantic and insecure while Nora blinked up at Lucian with wide, innocent eyes.

This time, I didn't move an inch. I simply took another sip of my tea.

I had intentionally left the pavilion doors open, even making sure the guards knew Lady Nora was free to roam the eastern gardens whenever she wished. Nora thought I was being blind. She thought the poison incident with the dress was just a fluke, a bit of bad luck, and that I was still the same clueless, overly trusting sister who would leave the door wide open for her to steal what was mine.

Let her think it. The higher she climbed on her little pedestal of arrogance, the harder she would hit the flagstones when it crumbled.

"You're watching her like a hawk watches a field mouse."

Julian stepped out onto the terrace, his armor clinking softly with each step. He leaned his hands on the stone railing beside me, his eyes sweeping the courtyard below before landing on my face.

"She is welcome to the mouse trap," I murmured, setting my cup back onto the saucer. "Has the investigation into the poison yielded anything concrete?"

Julian’s face darkened. "The servant who poured the royal goblet at the High Pass gathering was found dead near the river late last night. Drowned. No marks on the body, but it’s too clean to be an accident. Someone wiped their tracks."

"Convenient," I said, my gaze drifting back down to the pavilion. Nora was laughing now, a soft, musical sound that carried over the open lawn, tilting her head back to catch Lucian’s eye. Lucian, however, barely glanced at her, his attention remaining glued to the map spread out over the table.

"Whoever tried to poison you has deep roots in the palace," Julian warned quietly, his voice tight. "You shouldn't be sitting out here in the open, Elena. It isn't safe."

"The terrace is flanked by four archers, Julian," I said, offering him a faint, reassuring smile. "And besides, the person trying to kill me isn't going to use an arrow. They prefer quiet, clean drops in a glass."

Before Julian could respond, a page stepped onto the terrace, bowing quickly. "Crown Princess, Alpha Elijah requests your presence in the grand reception hall. Lady Nora and several council elders are already assembled."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Thank you. I will be down shortly."

As the page scurried off, Julian frowned. "What is this about?"

"Nora is trying her next move," I said, standing up and smoothing down the front of my skirt. "Stay close, Julian. You won't want to miss this."

When I entered the grand reception hall, the atmosphere was already filled with tension. My father sat on his Alpha seat, flanked by three senior council elders. Nora stood near the center of the room, looking tearful and deeply distressed, while several noble ladies gathered behind her, whispering among themselves.

Lucian had also arrived, standing near the back column with his arms crossed, watching the scene play out with a quiet, observant glare.

"Elena," my father said, his voice heavy with disappointment as I approached the dais. "Nora has just brought a very serious matter to the council's attention."

I stopped in front of the throne, bowing my head with perfect royal grace. "What matter, Father?"

Nora stepped forward, her hands clasped tightly over her chest. "Elena... I am so sorry to bring this up in front of the elders, but I couldn't keep quiet any longer. The pack's security is at risk!" She turned to the council, her voice trembling dramatically. "Yesterday evening, I caught Elena giving direct clearance to a rogue merchant near the southern border posts. She bypassed the guard checks entirely and handed him a sealed royal pass!"

A hushed murmur broke out among the elders. In the Moonspire Pack, bypassing border security for an unregistered rogue was a severe crime, one that suggested treason.

If it were in my life, I would be panicking. Nora had used this exact same framing. I had screamed that she was lying, raising my voice in front of the elders, and demanding she prove it. My explosive anger had made me look guilty, jealous of Nora's 'honesty,' and entirely unfit to rule, forcing my father to strip me of my border authority for months.

This time, I didn't raise my voice, I acted like I didn’t give a single care about her accusation. 

"Is that so?" I asked smoothly, turning my head to look at Nora with gentle interest.

Nora blinked, clearly caught off guard by my lack of panic. She quickly pressed on, hardening her tone. "Yes! I saw you with my own eyes at the southern gate at six o'clock yesterday evening! You gave him a gold-stamped scroll and told him to pass through without inspection. Father, she is putting us all in danger!"

The council elders looked at me, waiting for the defensive outburst. Elder Brandon leaned forward, clearing his throat. "Princess Elena, what do you have to say to this accusation?"

I let out a soft sigh, looking at my father with sympathy.

"Nora is entirely correct, Father," I said calmly.

The hall went dead silent. Nora’s mouth parted in shock, her eyes widening. She hadn't expected me to agree. Even Lucian straightened up against his column, his dark eyebrows drawing together in surprise.

"You admit to passing an unregistered merchant?" my father asked, his voice sharp with disbelief.

"Oh, no, Father," I replied, tilting my head. "I admit that Nora saw a royal pass handed over at the southern gate at six o'clock yesterday evening. She is completely right about the time and the location. Her vigilance for the pack is truly touching."

Nora’s chest puffed up slightly, though a flicker of suspicion crossed her face. "See? She admits it!"

"However," I continued, taking a step closer to the council table, "Nora made one tiny mistake in her observation. I wasn't at the southern gate yesterday evening."

I turned my head toward the back of the hall. "Julian, please present the gate log and the guard roster from yesterday."

Julian stepped forward, pulling a logbook from under his arm and placing it on the elders' table.

"At six o'clock yesterday evening," I said, my voice echoing clearly off the stone walls, "I was in the lower archives with Alpha Lucian, reviewing border line registries. Alpha Lucian can verify my presence himself, as he was standing less than two feet away from me."

Every eye in the room instantly snapped to the back of the hall, landing on Lucian.

Lucian looked from me to Nora, a cold, mocking smirk playing at the corner of his lips as he stepped out from the shadows of the column. "The Crown Princess speaks the truth, Alpha Elijah. She was in the archives with me from five in the afternoon until past six thirty. She couldn't have been at the southern gate unless she possesses the ability to be in two places at once."

Nora’s face drained of every ounce of color. "No... but... I saw the royal dress! I saw the golden pass!"

"What Nora actually saw," I interrupted gently, keeping my tone light and educational, "was my chief steward delivering the official seasonal supply permit to the verified pack grain merchant. A permit that was signed by Father two weeks ago. If Nora had bothered to check the registry before running to the council with wild stories of treason, she wouldn't have wasted everyone's valuable time."

Elder Brandon slammed his ledger shut, shaking his head in annoyance. "Accusing the Crown Princess of treason based on a glance from across a courtyard? Ridiculous."

"Nora," my father snapped, his face turning dark with embarrassment. "You have disrupted the council and humiliated yourself over a routine supply drop? Have you lost your mind entirely?"

"Father, I—I thought—" Nora stammered, her eyes darting around the room as the noble ladies behind her began to whisper and cover their mouths with small snickers. Her cheeks burned bright red, tears of genuine humiliation spilling down her face.

"Go to your quarters," my father commanded coldly, waving his hand in dismissal. "And do not speak of pack security again until you learn how to read a simple border log."

Nora choked back a sob, turned on her heel, and practically fled the grand hall, her silk skirts swishing loudly against the floor.

I stood tall in the center of the room, smoothing my velvet skirt, the picture of calm, dignified royalty. As the council elders began packing up their papers, I caught Lucian’s gaze from across the room.

He was staring at me, his eyes bright with an unmistakable trace of amusement and fascination. He gave me a tiny, slow nod of approval.

I gave him nothing in return. I simply turned away, walking out of the hall beside Julian, leaving Nora's shattered scheme bleeding out behind me.