Chapter 13 The Broken Balance

The afternoon went by, and Aurelia did not set foot inside Kaelen’s part of the mansion. She spent hours pacing up and down her hallway, her thoughts messy and loud. She realized this house was a prison where her own guards were no longer hers to command. If she could not send letters to the Capital City, she had to find another way to fight.

By evening, Aurelia made up her mind. She walked down to the lower level of the mansion, near the back kitchen where the ordinary local soldiers usually sat to drink.

A young soldier named Tomas was sitting alone on a bench, cleaning mud off his leather boots. He was a low-ranking guard who worked under Captain Boros, and he always looked tired.

Aurelia stepped out of the shadows. "Tomas," she said softly.

The young man jumped, quickly standing up to bow. "Lady Aurelia. Do you need something?"

Aurelia looked around to make sure the hallway was empty. Then, she reached into her small pouch and pulled out three large, heavy silver coins. She held them out in her palm, letting the bright light catch the metal.

Tomas stared at the silver, his eyes turning wide. That amount of money was more than he earned in three months of service. He swallowed hard, his hands twitching at his sides.

"I have a simple question for you, Tomas," Aurelia said, keeping her voice very low. "And if you answer it honestly, this silver is yours. No one else ever has to know we spoke."

Tomas looked at the silver, then at her face. "What... what do you want to know, milady?"

"I want to know about the middle of the night," Aurelia said, stepping a bit closer. "Who goes into Prince Kaelen's bedroom when the rest of the house is asleep? Who visits him? I want names."

Tomas blinked, looking confused. He looked at the money again, the greed winning over his fear. He reached out, grabbed the three silver coins, and stuffed them into his pocket. "I... I usually work the early night shift, milady. I will watch the door tonight and find out for you. I will report back tomorrow morning."

"Good," Aurelia said, nodding once. "Do not disappoint me."

She turned and walked away, feeling a small spark of hope in her chest. She finally had an agent of her own.

But the moment Aurelia vanished up the stairs, Tomas’s face went completely blank. The greedy excitement disappeared from his eyes, replaced by a dull, uniform expression. He did not put the silver away to buy food. Instead, he turned around and walked directly toward the ground floor study, his steps perfectly regular.

He did not knock. He simply opened the door and walked inside.

Kaelen was sitting in his wheelchair by the desk, reading a small book under the light of a single candle. The tall assassin stood right behind him in the shadows.

"Master," Tomas said, his voice flat as he pulled the three silver coins from his pocket and laid them gently on the desk. "Lady Aurelia just gave me this money. She wants to know who visits your room at night. She wants names."

Kaelen looked down at the silver coins on his desk, a slow, amused smile spreading across his pale face. He closed his book with a soft thud.

"My clever wife is trying to build her own little spy network," Kaelen murmured, his voice smooth and steady. He looked up at Tomas. "You did well to come straight here, Tomas."

"What should I tell her, Master?" Tomas asked, waiting for the command.

Kaelen leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against his cane. If he told Tomas to say no one visited, Aurelia would only grow more suspicious and look elsewhere. He needed to give her a target, a big, loud target that would keep her occupied and completely blind to the truth.

"Tomorrow morning, you will go to her," Kaelen ordered, his eyes shining with a dark light. "You will look frightened, and you will tell her a secret. Tell her that late at night, you saw Captain Boros secretly entering my room. Tell her that Boros brings heavy boxes of papers and shouts at me, forcing me to sign estate documents while I cry."

Tomas nodded, memorizing the lie. "Captain Boros is the one visiting."

"Yes," Kaelen smiled. "Tell her that Boros told me if I do not sign the papers, he will make sure I never return to the Capital. Make her believe that Boros is the real master of this house, and that he is just using my name to rule the town and steal the wealth."

"I understand, Master," Tomas said. "I will tell her exactly that."

"Keep the silver coins for yourself," Kaelen added, waving his hand. "Consider it a reward for your good acting. You may go now."

Tomas picked up the money, bowed deeply, and left the room as silently as a ghost.

The room fell back into a deep silence. Kaelen looked out the dark window, his mind completely relaxed. By making Aurelia believe Captain Boros was the hidden boss, she would spend all her energy trying to fight the captain. She would never suspect the weak, coughing husband who supposedly cried himself to sleep every night.

The next morning, Aurelia stood by the main hall windows, waiting. Tomas walked into the hall a few minutes later, looking around nervously. He hurried over to her, his voice shaking.

"Milady, I found out," Tomas whispered, his face pale. "It is Captain Boros. Around midnight, he went into the prince's room with a stack of papers. I heard him yelling at Prince Kaelen, telling him to sign the tax documents. The prince was weeping, begging Boros to leave him alone. Boros is running everything."

Aurelia’s breath hitched in her throat. Her fists clenched tightly at her sides as a wave of anger and realization washed over her.

Of course, Aurelia thought, fitting the pieces into the lie. Boros is using Kaelen’s royal name as a shield so the Capital doesn't suspect he is stealing the taxes. That is why the guards wouldn't listen to me—they are obeying Boros.

She looked toward the hallway that led to Kaelen's room, a sudden flash of pity crossing her mind. Her husband wasn't a mastermind; he was just a miserable victim being used by a brutal captain.

"Thank you, Tomas," Aurelia said, her voice turning icy. "Do not speak of this to anyone else."

Aurelia stood alone in the bright morning light, her eyes hard and focused. The target was clear now. She was going to bring down Captain Boros, completely unaware that she had just walked straight into the center of Kaelen's invisible cage.