Just how was he going to escape that madman?
If the system was right and Alaric couldn't break them out, then Julian was truly on his own. He thought of the Duke—furious, pacing the manor floors, his blue eyes likely burning with a cold, lethal fire. Alaric would come for them surely since the Emperor was ready to risk a civil war by holding the Royal Tutor and his own nephew hostage. But the Emperor would probably be prepared for him, so he had a plan, and that might as well lead to the Palace becoming a slaughterhouse.
The Emperor wouldn't care if he lost one guard or two. And once the Duke struck first, he was giving the Emperor grounds to hold him responsible and make an issue out of all of this.
With the Duke's temper, that outcome was very likely.
Oh, Lucien. Julian thought softly and regretfully.
That was probably why the system was confident he would stay for seven days.
And then there was Seraphina.
