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Who could be hammering at this time of the night? The thought barely formed in my mind before a voice shouted from the other side of the door.

“Let me in!” Sebastian.

I groaned internally as the door thundered under what could only be my brother’s fist. Honestly, couldn’t a girl recover from a kidnapping in peace?

“Open this door right now!” Sebastian’s voice boomed. “I don’t care if you’re the bloody crown Prince of Aetheria, I’ll blast your arse if you don’t let me in!”

Anderic sighed, running a hand through his golden curls. “Well, couldn’t keep him out much longer.” He turned to me, his blue eyes apologetic. “I tried to keep your brother from knowing, but he finally found out.”

Of course, he did.

As Anderic sat up to open the door, I braced myself for the whirlwind that was my overprotective brother. The door swung open to reveal Sebastian, his fist raised mid-knock, mouth open in a half-shout. Behind him stood a grim-faced Lennox, who bowed to Anderic.

“My apologies, Your Highness. I couldn’t keep Lord Sebastian out any longer.”

Sebastian didn’t wait for pleasantries. He pushed past Anderic and made a beeline for my bed, his green eyes wide with worry as he scanned me for injuries.

“Lya! Are you alright? What happened? Who hurt you? I’ll kill them, I swear-”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Sebastian,” I cut him off, rolling my eyes. “Stop fussing like a mother hen. I’m fine.”

Anderic leaned against the bedframe, arms crossed as he watched our interaction with an unreadable expression.

I turned to Sebastian, arching an eyebrow. “Didn’t you know about my kidnapping?”

My brother’s face darkened as he glared at Anderic. “I would have if someone had bothered to tell me.”

Anderic merely shrugged, his golden curls catching the candlelight. “If I had told you, you would have acted exactly like this and jeopardized everything. I couldn’t take that risk.”

“She’s my little sister,” Sebastian snapped back. “I have the right to know. Why do you even care?”

Anderic opened his mouth to respond, then paused. His blue eyes met mine for a moment, and I found myself holding my breath. What was he going to say?

But then he closed his mouth, his expression carefully neutral. “You two should talk,” he said finally, pushing off from the bedframe. “I’ll leave you to it.”

He turned and strode toward the door, his posture uncharacteristically tense.

I should have let him go. Instead, I found myself watching him, frustration curling in my chest. What had he been about to say?

Unfortunately for me, I cared too much about his answer.

I sighed as Sebastian’s worried gaze raked over me once more. His fussing was touching, in a way, but mostly it was just exhausting.

“Lya, are you sure you’re alright? That bruise on your cheek looks nasty.” His hand reached out, hovering near my face.

I batted it away. “For the love of God, Seb, I’m fine. It’s just a bruise. I’ve had worse from falling off my horse.”

He frowned, unconvinced. “And your wrists? They look raw.”

I tugged my sleeves down, covering the rope burns. “Nothing a little salve won’t fix. Now, can we please talk about something else?”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed, a familiar determination settling over his features. Oh no. I knew that look.

“Actually, Lya, there is something I’ve been meaning to discuss with you.”

I groaned internally. Here we go.

“Speaking of Anderic,” he began, his tone cautious.

“We weren’t speaking of Anderic,” I cut in quickly.

He ignored me. “I’ve noticed you two have been… closer lately.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Closer? What are you implying, dear brother?”

Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, a habit he’d had since childhood when he was nervous or frustrated. “I’m not implying anything. I’m just… concerned.”

“Concerned about what, exactly?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

He sighed. “Lya, you know how dangerous it is to get involved with royalty. After everything that’s happened—”

“I’m not getting involved with anyone,” I snapped. “And even if I were, it’s none of your business.”

“It is my business when it affects you, my family!” Sebastian’s voice rose. “After everything that happened with Noah… I can’t bear to see you hurt again.”

A pang of guilt shot through me. I knew he meant well, but I didn’t want to open that particular Pandora’s box now.

“Seb, I appreciate your concern, truly,” I said, softening my tone. “But I’m tired. It’s been a long few days, and I really need to rest.”

I pulled the blanket up to my chin, hoping he’d take the hint.

Instead, Sebastian narrowed his eyes, stubbornness settling over his face like a storm cloud. Without warning, he grabbed the blanket and yanked it down.

I gasped. “Sebastian!”

“You’re not dodging this conversation, Lya.”

I grabbed the blanket and pulled it right back up. “Watch me.”

He yanked.

I yanked harder.

The ridiculous tug-of-war continued for a solid five seconds before I finally gave him my best glare. “Are you seriously fighting a recovering patient over a blanket?”

Sebastian huffed but—miraculously—let go. “Fine. You win. But this conversation isn’t over.” He pointed a finger at me, full of older brother authority. “We will talk about this.”

I gave an exaggerated yawn. “Mmm, looking forward to it. Goodnight, Seb.”

He let out a long-suffering sigh and finally stepped away. The door clicked shut behind him, and I exhaled in relief.

Victory. For now.

As I lay there in the dim candlelight, my thoughts drifted back to Anderic—the way he had looked at me earlier, the words he hadn’t said but had been there, lingering between us. A part of me wished he had said them.

I shook my head, forcing the thought away. It didn’t matter. It couldn’t matter. There were bigger problems to deal with—specifically, what to do about Gareth.

And yet, as I closed my eyes, a single thought refused to be silenced.

What if…

* * *

The next few days passed in a blur of sleep and hazy wakefulness. I drifted in and out of consciousness, my body demanding rest to heal itself.

Laurel burst into my room on the second day, her eyes red and puffy, and fixed me with a watery-eyed glare that was equal parts relief and accusation.

“My lady! Oh, I was so worried!” She flung herself at my bedside, nearly crushing me in a tearful embrace.

I patted her back awkwardly. “There, there. I’m fine, Laurel. No need for the waterworks.”

She pulled back just enough to level a glare at me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “You always say that! And yet, I always find you at death’s doorstep! I should have been there to protect you!”

I raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly would you have done? Brandished a feather duster at them?”

Laurel’s lips twitched despite her tears. “I’ll have you know I’m quite deadly with a feather duster.”

I chuckled, then winced as the movement jostled my bruised ribs. “I’m sure you are. Now, enough of this. I need you to look after the business.”

Her face fell. “But my lady, I want to stay and help you recover.”

I shook my head firmly. “Absolutely not. The business needs you more than I do right now. Besides,” I gestured to the lavish room around us, “I’m hardly suffering here.”

Laurel reluctantly agreed, but not before shooting me a watery glare that clearly said, ‘I’m leaving under protest.’ She returned daily, armed with ledgers and business reports, determined to keep me informed even as I recuperated.

Once she was gone, I stared at the ceiling, my mind drifting.

Before all of this—before the kidnapping, before Gareth’s betrayal—I had been content with my goals: earn money, secure my family’s future, and prevent our downfall.

But everything had changed now. Gareth’s treachery had upended everything.

My father, ultimately, had only been a puppet in this game, but if Gareth exposed his involvement, it wouldn’t matter. We would all be ruined.

No, I couldn’t let that happen.

Reaching for the small leather journal by my bedside, I flipped it open and started writing my new goals:

Stop Gareth from revealing my father’s involvement. (I have to find a way to talk to Gareth alone.)

Help Anderic with all my future knowledge to catch the real culprits (and thus, prevent my family’s downfall).

The ink glistened under the candlelight as I stared at the words. A week ago, I never would have imagined I’d be aligning myself so closely with Anderic. But there was no denying it now—our fates were intertwined.

Annalise visited a few times, bringing fabric swatches and dress designs to distract me. Her chatter about the latest fashion trends was a welcome respite from my own thoughts. She was eagerly waiting for Her Majesty to wear her dress.

Queen Felicia, unable to visit personally, sent Lady Amelia to tend to me along with a formal letter:

My dear Lady Ilyana,

I hope this letter finds you recovering well. Please accept my sincerest apologies for not being able to visit you in person. The preparations for the upcoming ball have demanded much of my attention.

I have entrusted Lady Amelia with your care, and I hope you will find her assistance satisfactory. As a small token of my concern, please accept the accompanying gift of chocolates.

May your recovery be swift and complete.

Yours sincerely,

Queen Felicia

The chocolates were divine, I had to admit. I made a mental note to ask her where she got those chocolates from once I was back on my feet.

Sebastian, thankfully, seemed to have exhausted his brotherly concern for the time being and left me in peace.

And then there was Anderic.

The prince had practically moved into my room, setting up a makeshift office at a small desk he’d brought in. He spent every free moment there, working silently on papers I couldn’t see. His golden curls caught the sunlight as he bent over his work, his brow furrowed in concentration.

It was maddening.