Cyrus’s POV

The day began like any other, briefings, reports, movement logs, but the silence was painful. I could feel the council’s whispers before they reached me. Seraphine’s forged letters had taken root, spreading like smoke. I told myself I didn’t believe them, but the handwriting, the scent, the seal, they matched too well to dismiss.

I reread the first page. The lavender wax was genuine. The mark was identical to the one Mira used before her confinement. If Seraphine had forged ...