My day had afforded me no measure of rest. I had endured an insufferable tour beside a noble whose every remark circled back to my late mother, followed swiftly by my stepmother's venomous lamentations concerning the very same woman. And yet, despite such exhaustion, I now found myself here—standing before the man I professed to dislike above all others.
"Hmm?" I set my teacup aside and turned toward Cassian's aide with composed indifference. "I came to see Lord Cassian. Who else would warrant such inconvenience?"
"F-forgive me, Your Highness," the aide stammered, bowing deeply as though caught trespassing upon sacred ground.
My gaze shifted at last to Cassian.
"Cassian… no. Count Cassian now," I corrected calmly.
"Yes," he replied, straightening slightly. "…For now."
"Yes," I echoed faintly. "For now."
Silence followed.
It stretched longer than propriety allowed, settling heavily between us. We merely looked at one another—neither advancing nor retreating. An unfamiliar tension tightened within my chest, strange and unwelcome.
It was something far less manageable.
Cassian spoke first.
"Does Your Highness require me for some particular matter?" His voice betrayed a breathlessness he seemed unable to conceal.
I hesitated.
The words, rehearsed countless times on my journey here, now refused to emerge with ease.
"I…" My fingers tightened lightly against the table's edge. "I require you."
The admission lingered in the air, weighted far more heavily than intended. Why did those simple words feel so difficult to utter?
"Me?" Cassian's eyes brightened at once, surprise giving way to unmistakable hope. The faintest smile threatened at the corners of his lips.
"Me?" Cassian repeated softly, surprise giving way to unmistakable hope. The faintest smile threatened at the corners of his lips.
"Yes." I closed my eyes briefly, gathering what resolve remained. "You. Will you assist me?"
He did not answer at once.
Behind him, his aide shifted his weight, gaze moving carefully between us, as though witnessing a negotiation far more delicate than either of us wished to admit. Even the air seemed suspended in expectation.
"What is it you require of me?" Cassian asked at last.
Relief escaped me in a quiet breath. I gestured toward the chair opposite mine.
"Pray, sit. I have come directly from the Queen's Palace and…"
"My… mother?" he supplied, gently filling the silence I allowed to linger.
"Yes." I inclined my head. "Her Majesty made a most… enlightening remark today. One that forced me to confront a rather humiliating truth." I crossed my legs, maintaining composure. "I know nothing of my liege mother. If I am to speak plainly—I know less than nothing."
Remain composed. Do not allow him to see.
My hand curled into a fist within my lap, hidden neatly behind the fold of my skirts.
"I require someone to retrieve an object of considerable value. Something that once belonged to my mother."
Cassian finally seated himself, leaning back with measured ease. "And what object could possess such importance that Your Highness would seek it despite its association with a woman you professed to despise?"
"I am aware of what conclusions you may be drawing," I replied evenly, biting lightly at the inside of my cheek. "And no—I shall not dismiss you as I have done before. I require someone unobserved. Someone powerful enough to act, yet insignificant enough to escape scrutiny." My gaze met his directly. "I require you."
"Me…" Cassian scoffed, folding his arms, though amusement flickered beneath the gesture. "What treasure could the realm's most esteemed flower desire so desperately? Something that must hidden even from the public eye?"
He grows bold the moment he is acknowledged.
"I require a gold key," I said plainly. "The key to the Queen's royal chambers."
Cassian's brows drew together. "Would not a spare rest with a lady-in-waiting—or with my mother?"
"No." I leaned forward slightly. "Your mother does not reside within the Queen's sovereign apartments. She occupies another suite within the palace entirely. The key to the true royal chamber is singular. There exists no duplicate."
Understanding dawned slowly across his features.
"So His Majesty neither entrusted it to my mother… nor destroyed it," he murmured.
"Yes… it seems you understand already," I said, allowing myself a small smile as my fist finally loosened. "Then I shall speak plainly."
I leaned closer, lowering my voice.
"I believe His Majesty never intended to grant the Queen absolute authority." My gaze hardened. "And I believe he is concealing something… something directly connected to my mother's death."
Cassian stilled. For a moment, even his habitual composure deserted him.
"If your suspicions hold truth then…" he said slowly
Silence followed—thick, uncomfortable, almost accusatory.
I loathed that I must stand here at all. To request aid of Cassian of all people felt akin to swallowing poison politely poured into crystal.
I must leave before my patience abandons me entirely.
"All I require is the key," I declared, rising. "The remainder I shall manage myself."
He repeated my words under his breath, thoughtful. "Only the key…"
His fingers tapped once against the armrest before resolve settled over his expression.
"In that case, I shall begin with the palace staff—former maids, attendants dismissed without record, servants who vanished conveniently from service."
He beckoned his aide forward and murmured instructions too low for me to hear. The young man bowed and withdrew at once.
Cassian's attention returned to me. He studied me openly—far longer than propriety allowed.
"I shall have a report prepared by the end of next week."
My brows lifted despite myself.
"So swiftly?"
He rose to stand opposite me, slipping his hands into his pockets with infuriating ease.
"Efficiency," he replied, faint amusement touching his voice, "is indispensable in matters involving treason, secrets, and grieving daughters seeking truth."
He smiled.
I did not.
"Very well. You have my thanks." I turned toward the door, determined to end the encounter.
Yet a thought halted me.
I paused.
"Hmm?" he prompted.
I faced him again.
"What do you desire in return?"
Cassian blinked, genuinely surprised before recovering his composure.
"Oh? I am to be rewarded?"
He folded his arms, clearly entertained.
My frown deepened.
"Yes. I refuse to remain indebted… particularly to a man I neither trust nor favour."
He gave a soft laugh, brushing aside the insult as though it amused him.
"Well then," he said, considering, "I shall claim two wishes."
My hands tightened at my sides. "State them."
His expression changed instantly—levity vanishing, replaced by something sharp and intent.
"First," he said, voice low, "tell me precisely what my mother—Her Majesty—said that led you to these suspicions."
The air grew colder between us.
I stared at him. Brows drawn. Jaw tight.
I hesitated.
Cassian stepped closer.
"Do not reconsider now," he murmured. "You came seeking my help. The least you could do is grant me honesty in return."
My pulse quickened.
"She told me...." I said at last, each word deliberate.