The King was bedridden with illness, and Crown Prince Alaric stayed by his side day and night. The affairs of the court were upheld by Duke Rowan and a few others, but government matters had nearly come to a halt.

  The world was on the verge of a power shift, and soon, Corwin’s household would no longer be the same.

  News of Arianne’s pregnancy reached the Braedon frontier.

  The Duke of Braedon secretly gathered his army, preparing to march on the capital to oppose Crown Prince Alaric.

  Meanwhile, Corwin was preoccupied every day, meeting with the Duan, Corwin, and Song families. Yet, he never once stepped into Arianne’s chambers.

  She, heavily pregnant, waited all day in the corridor, only to be sent away in the end.

  That evening, as I sat by the window feeding my crimson parrot, Corwin stood at the corridor’s entrance, watching silently for an unknown length of time.

  "This bird—is it the same as the one you offered at the ceremony?"

  I paused my movements. "The Crimson Parrot is a twin species. But raising both at once is taboo, so I only brought one to the palace."

  Corwin barely reacted. "Is the fortune-telling of your family never wrong?"

  For Arianne’s sake, I offered him some insight. "My lord, have you ever heard of how my father predicted the great fire in the eastern part of the city?"

  He nodded slightly. "I have."

  "Once a prophecy is spoken, it becomes a thread in the weave of fate. The more one tries to escape it, the more they walk into its trap. But in the end, it is the heart of a person that determines their destiny."

  I set down my silver spoon and turned to look at him, my gaze unreadable.

  Corwin sat down, as if lost in thought.

  "So, you mean I should let it be? The state of the court now is like a drawn bowstring. To remain an untainted official is nearly impossible."

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  "You could resign, take Arianne and the child to the Braedon frontier, leave the child in the care of Duke of Braedon, and retreat with Arianne to a peaceful countryside life."

  He sat there, silent for a long time.

  As night fell, lanterns lit up the courtyard. Corwin, instead of leaving, spoke again.

  "Whenever I see Arianne, I feel exhausted. But when I'm here with you, I find a strange sense of peace."

  I looked at him quietly, then smirked.

  Corwin caught my smile, smirking in return. He glanced around the room and pointed to a chair near the window. "I'll sleep there."

  "My lord, suit yourself."

  I gestured toward the small window by my parrot’s perch. "Don’t close the window. I don’t like sleeping with it shut."

  For the past several months, Corwin had spent the night in my chambers seven or eight times.

  Since then, whenever I tried to visit Arianne, she refused to see me.

  Even the servants whispered about me behind my back.

  I stopped going altogether, letting her have peace.

  Some things could never be made clear.

  From the moment Corwin made his decision, Arianne and I could no longer be friends.

  Because Arianne loved him.

  That night, beneath the ink-black sky, I heard an unusual sound. I climbed out of bed, walked past Corwin, who was asleep, and pushed the window open.

  A small shadow darted across the darkness.

  The parrot stood firm on its perch, its shadow cast against the window frame.

  I was about to turn back.

  Then, suddenly, in the dead of night, the parrot screeched in a shrill voice, "Traitor!"

  My entire body turned cold.

  It called out again, "Orphaned heir!"

  I nearly lost my balance, stumbling two steps backward.

  Through the parrot’s crimson gaze, I seemed to see it soaring over the darkened capital, perching atop the eaves of the imperial palace, resting on a wooden stand by a window.

  The lantern light cast its shadow upon the Eternal Longevity folding screen—elongated and faint, drawing little attention.

  Because on the screen, there were already two shadows.

  One person was tilting another's chin up, while the other was pouring something into their mouth.

  Suddenly, in the darkness, a pair of hands landed on my shoulders.

  I was dizzy, uncertain of where I was. I bit down hard on a finger, too afraid to cry out.

  "It’s me. Don’t be afraid."

  Corwin had woken up.

  His hand remained on my shoulder as he gazed out the window before turning to the parrot.

  "Traitor... Orphaned heir... I wonder where it learned such words."

  He repeated them, his face devoid of emotion, but his gaze grew impossibly deep.

  I steadied myself.

  Crown Prince Alaric had made his move.

  The throne was shifting.

  It was only a matter of time.

  At dawn, when the city gates opened and the streets were empty, I escorted Elias, now in disguise, as he departed the capital.

  "Be careful on your journey."

  I took out a charm and placed it in his palm. "Who knows when we will meet again? I embroidered this talisman for you. You should leave something for me in return."