“That may be a motivation,” Cedric conceded. “But we have to explore all possibilities. If this is about the engagement, another kingdom—or a noble—may be behind it. If so, they’re risking war, which is why they’d want the death concealed. None of these attempts is like a typical public execution, as some assassins would prefer.” He paused, raising a hand to his mouth in thought. “There was once a case where King Phillipe II was stabbed with a penknife in broad daylight. The man was a lunatic, of course—but this? This feels deliberately covert.”
Nin supposed he was right. If the Silver Flame wanted to make an example of her, they would have done so publicly. The secrecy made her even more nervous. Who could it be—and were they within these very walls, pretending to be an ally?
The thought chilled her.
Cedric seemed to sense her concern. “We’ll tighten security,” he said. “You will not attend upcoming events. We’ll have to confine you to your rooms until further notice.”
The ache in her head spiked as she rushed to sit forward. If she stayed here, out of sight, she might as well be useless. Her life was personally at stake—it always had been, but now the reality of it sharpened her mind. All the work she put into being the princess would crumble into nothing.
“But—what? I need to be out there, figuring out who it is!” she protested. “Someone almost tried to kill me! What is the point if I’m cooped up in here again? It could be Adelina, for all we know. How am I supposed to discover that if I’m not around her?”
His teeth clenched. “This is about your safety, above all else.”
Something fragile snapped within her.
He had witnessed her at her weakest, but now it appeared that’s all he saw in her.
“My safety?” she scoffed, throwing her hands up.
“Yes,yoursafety.”
“No, I think you mean Princess Marianne’s security. I’m here as a stand-in, remember? That’s why you asked me to do this. This is all forhersake. Don’t pretend I’m some doll you can hide away!”
Her chest heaved, the words slipping before she could soften them. Something flashed in his eyes. He was silent for a long breath.
“You matter,”he said quietly.
Nin’s mouth parted—a dangerous yet warm flicker appeared within her. She swallowed hard.
“People usually say that when they want something,” she said, looking away. She let out a long, slow breath. “So tell me what you need.”
Before Cedric could respond, Lucille reached out and grasped her hand. “Perhaps you should listen to him, Nin.”
“Not you too,” Nin groaned. “I understand everyone’s concerned, but maybe I could do more than just play pretend princess.”
Cedric went rigid, his voice lowering. “What do you mean?”
“Maybe I could sneak around,” she said, shrugging. “I’ve done it most of my life. I might as well put it to use and help you figure out what’s going on.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’d risk exposing our cover,” he said evenly.
“I’m more capable than you think I am,” she shot back. “I’ve been doing this for years, asyousaw the day we met.”
He shook his head with a quiet scoff. “And you saw how that turned out. You are not as skilled as you believe you are.”
Nin’s fists clenched. Bijou’s head perked, seeming to sense the tension thickening the air.
“If you didn’t think I was capable, then why did you ask me to do this? Most of these nobles can’t even tell what’s up or down,” she protested. “They only care about themselves—they’re selfish and vain! They wouldn’t even notice me in disguise because they barely even saw me when I was on the street.”
“True as that may be,” he said, “I forbid you from doing anything that puts you in harm’s way.”
The finality in his voice struck like a blow. Nin looked to Lucille for support, but the woman squeezed her fingers in a silent plea. They both believed her only use was to curtsy prettily and pretend to be someone she wasn’t.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me. I must resume my duties,” he said.
