That afternoon the air over Ashford felt heavy. Sea wind pressed against the castle walls. Ravens circled above the towers. Something about the day carried the stillness that comes before a storm.
Lord Fabio sat in his solar with his fingers resting on the carved arm of his chair. His face was unreadable.
Then he turned to one of his guards. "Bring Lord Theon Kendrick to my inner conference room."
The guard bowed and left.
Fabio remained still after he was gone. Festus, seated nearby, leaned forward. "Do you think he bends today?"
Fabio did not answer at once. His eyes stayed on the fire. "He bends," he muttered. "Or he breaks."
Meanwhile inside his chambers, Theon paced. Back and forth. Back and forth like a caged wolf. But it was not Drexo's mission troubling him anymore. It was Frida's words. Her voice would not leave him.
The Kenwools only marry kings… or wardens.
The words gnawed. He clenched his jaw. "How does a man inherit a kingdom?" He whispered it as though saying it aloud might make it less absurd.
Then came a knock. Three sharp taps. Theon turned quickly and opened the door. A guard stood there and bowed. "The Warden requests your presence in his inner conference room."
Theon's brows furrowed. "Inner conference room!"
Kings did not summon men there for nothing. His chest tightened. Still, he nodded. "I will come."
He followed the guard through narrow corridors lit by torchlight. Their footsteps echoed over ancient stone. Every turn felt deeper. More secrets, more dangerous.
At the chamber doors the guard pushed them open. Theon entered. Lord Fabio sat at the far end of a long table. Festus sat close beside him.
Waiting, and watching.
Fabio gestured. "Please sit, my lord."
Theon drew out a chair and lowered himself slowly. He looked from father to son. "What is this secret meeting about?"
Fabio smiled. A thin smile. "You have no need to fear."
That only made Theon more wary. He forced a smile back.
Fabio folded his hands. "We have considered King Drexo's offer."
Theon leaned in. For one heartbeat hope stirred. Then Fabio continued. "And we have decided an oath breaker cannot be trusted with his words."
Theon stiffened. "But…" He tried to speak.
Fabio cut him shut. "I am on the other side now."
His voice sharpened. "I stand with Robert."
Silence fell.
Theon stared. As if he had misheard. "House Kenwool has stood beside House Dragaria for a thousand years." His voice rose. "You would throw that away?"
Fabio's expression did not move. "I think…" He leaned forward. "…it is time you stop thinking about House Dragaria."
He paused, and met his gaze. "And start thinking about House Kendrick." The words landed hard.
Theon went still. Too still, and Fabio noticed it, and pressed harder. "You are the last member of House Kendrick. Your ancestors were the rulers of Edge Garden, before the Dragarians conquered it and renamed it Dragan City."
He tapped the table once. "You own no castle." Another tap. "No kingdom." Another tap. "And you do not see that as a problem?"
Theon's jaw tightened. "I am an adviser to the king."
Festus burst into laughter. A harsh laugh. Intend for mockery. "Can you pass that to your children?"
Theon's face darkened. But Festus rose, and paced around him like a wolf circling its prey. "What happens when the king no longer enjoys your service?"
The question struck.
Because it held the truth. And truth always cuts deeper.
Theon swallowed. "What are you driving at?" His voice had grown rough. Festus bent closer. "We offer you a chance to make House Kendrick noble."
He paused.
"To gain a title." His finger tapped Theon's chest. "To leave something to your sons."
Another pause.
"To sit on a throne." He smiled. "And shape the politics of the Nine Kingdoms."
The room seemed to tighten around Theon. His thoughts churned. Frida's words. Fabio's words. His own hidden hunger. They were all colliding. Yet he forced himself to remain calm. "I still do not know where you are driving."
Fabio leaned close. So close his voice became almost a whisper.."I offer you Cliffland." The words fell like thunder. Theon froze. Every instinct screamed.
He already knew. But still he asked. "And what do you want in return?" Fabio lowered his voice further. "Be our man inside Drexo's camp." The words came smoothly. Poison disguised as opportunity. "Lure him to us."
A beat. "And end this war."
Theon stared. Then suddenly burst into laughter: Sharp, almost wild. He pushed his chair back and stood. The sound scraped through the chamber. "Drexo is my brother." His voice thundered. "Even with a knife at my throat…" He pointed. "I will never betray him."
Festus shot up. Anger flashed in his face.."Do not be foolish!" He slammed a palm on the table. "This chance will never come again." His voice shook. "You serve Drexo now." He stepped close. "Your children will serve his children." The words hit somewhere deep.
Theon's face hardened. "I do not care." But the answer came too fast. Too defensive.
And Fabio noticed it. Theon turned sharply, and stormed toward the door. Then left the room. The doors slammed behind.
Silence exploded in his wake. Festus struck the table hard. "Fool!" He paced in fury. "Bloody fool!"
Fabio said nothing. He only stared at the door through which Theon had vanished. Thinking, and calculating.
Then another sound. Footsteps. The door opened, and Frida entered, composed as moonlight. As if she had expected all this.
Fabio turned to her. "I thought you said he would accept."
Frida nodded. No panic, no apology. "He will." She moved calmly to the table. "Give him time." Her eyes narrowed. "He is already breaking."
Festus scoffed. "Breaking? He just walked out on us!"
Frida smiled: Cold, and knowing. "No." She shook her head. "He ran because he was tempted."
Silence.
Fabio studied her.
She continued. "He didn't just walk out on you, he ran."
A pause.
"Because he was breaking."
She touched the table. "He is already fighting himself."
Fabio's fist clenched. His voice dropped low. "I hope so." His eyes hardened. "Because if he does not swear to me…" He leaned forward. "…he does not leave Ashford alive."
The room chilled. Even Festus went quiet. But Frida's composure never cracked. She smiled faintly. "Trust me, Father." She looked toward the door Theon had used. "Theon Kendrick is already on our side."