The midday sun bore down on Redmere, turning cobblestones to silver under its heat. A nervous crowd had gathered in the main square, not for a festival or announcement, but because whispers of failure and fear had traveled faster than fire. Adrian’s visible leadership had been tested, and while he remained a symbol of courage, cracks had begun to show.Selene watched from a rooftop across the square, her eyes scanning the crowd. The tension was tangible—villagers whispered, glances flicked between empty streets and the guards, and a small group of agitators moved near the market stalls, sowing doubt and fear. Edrin’s subtle manipulations were working.She knew the time for covert observation had passed. Perception demanded a decisive, visible action.Stepping into the LightSelene took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and descended into the square through a side street. The citizens’ murmurs immediately picked up pace. Some recognized her from fleeting public appearances, othe

Adrian stood beneath the open canopy of the council dais, feeling something unfamiliar settle into his bones.Not fear.Weight.The square below him was full—not with rage, not with devotion, but with expectation. The most dangerous kind of audience. People who believed they were about to witness a correction, not a collapse.Selene stood at the edge of the platform, just within view. Not beside him. That absence was already a statement.Adrian had argued against this moment for three nights straight.But legitimacy, once questioned, did not survive hesitation.The Announcement“My fellow citizens,” Adrian began, his voice steady, measured. He had learned long ago how to sound like certainty even when none remained.“There has been concern—reasonable concern—about unseen coordination within our towns.”A murmur rippled through the crowd. Not anger. Relief. He had named it.“To preserve trust,” he continued, “and to reaffirm that authority flows from consent, not secrecy, I am issuing

Adrian stood atop the dais in Redmere once more, the sun a pale smear across the horizon. The streets below buzzed with quiet tension. He had waited too long to act, and now the entire network of towns teetered on suspicion, uncertainty threading every decision.Edrin had exposed his restraint as performative, and the illusion of legitimacy had cracked. Adrian could no longer risk subtlety. To act meant showing power openly—but to show power openly risked confirming every suspicion Edrin had sown.The Decision“Order the city gates sealed,” Adrian said, voice hard, leaving no room for debate. “No one enters or leaves without my explicit approval. All networks—authorized or previously suspended—are to report directly to me. Immediately.”Kael blinked. “Majesty… that will appear—”“I don’t care how it appears,” Adrian interrupted. “The alternative is chaos, and we cannot allow chaos to spread.”Every soldier, clerk, and envoy in the vicinity understood: this was no ordinary command. It

The night air was thick with tension. Lanterns flickered across Redmere’s outer walls, casting long shadows over cobblestones slick with rain. Selene stood at the head of a narrow alley, listening intently to the whispers of her covert network. Every footstep, every murmured report mattered. Lives hung in balance, and time had never been a luxury.The fires in Lindmere had reignited overnight, fed by a sudden gust through the half-repaired embankments. Floodwaters surged unpredictably, and reports came in of citizens trapped in low-lying districts. Her contacts, seasoned and loyal, were spread thin. The risk of exposure was imminent and real—yet if she hesitated, people would die.The DecisionSelene’s hands hovered over the small tablet she used to coordinate her network. Every command sent now was a thread pulling her closer to visibility:Streets evacuated by messenger teamsRoof-to-roof rescues for trapped familiesTemporary bridges and makeshift boats deployed along the riverAll

The morning sun rose unevenly over Redmere, the streets lined with anxious citizens whose gazes flickered between the protectorate’s banners and whispered rumors of Selene’s shadowy interventions. What had been a stable foundation now felt like a cracked vessel, trembling under the weight of perception and fear.Edrin’s influence had gone far beyond council chambers. The seeds of doubt he planted through Selene’s covert network and Adrian’s visible authority had begun to manifest in the towns themselves.Redmere SplitsMarket stalls emptied earlier than usual. Citizens who had once cheered Adrian’s decisive actions now murmured suspicions:“If the queen acts without sanction, who really governs?”“I’ve seen the shadow teams… why do they move without orders?”“Does the king even know what she does?”Neighborhood leaders, often the first line of governance, divided. Some defended the queen’s actions as necessary, citing the lives saved in Lindmere and the recent floods. Others whispered