Chapter 17: The Real Heir

The words on the parchment hung heavily in the air.

'The real heir belongs on the Lycan throne.'

Kira stared at the message, her heartbeat quickening.

'They're talking about me,' she whispered.

Derek folded the parchment and slipped it inside his coat.

'Not necessarily.'

'But they wanted me to read it.'

'Which means they're trying to control how you think.'

Magnus frowned.

'The archives are the most heavily guarded place in the palace after the treasury.'

'No ordinary rogue could get inside unnoticed.'

'Someone helped them,' Derek said.

Silence settled over the room.

The possibility of a traitor inside the palace was far more dangerous than an army outside its walls.

'Double every guard,' Derek ordered.

'Search every servant, every soldier, every advisor.'

'No one leaves the palace without my permission.'

'Yes, Your Majesty.'

Magnus hurried away.

Kira remained standing beside the balcony doors.

'Do you really think someone inside betrayed you?'

'I don't deal in trust,' Derek answered.

'I deal in proof.'

'That sounds lonely.'

For the first time, Derek didn't reply.

The following morning, the palace was unusually tense.

Soldiers patrolled every corridor.

Servants whispered among themselves before falling silent whenever Derek appeared.

Kira wandered into the palace gardens, escorted by two royal guards.

The flowers had begun to bloom despite the lingering cold.

She knelt beside a bed of white lilies.

'Beautiful, aren't they?'

An elderly gardener smiled warmly.

'They remind me of someone.'

'Who?' Kira asked.

'The old queen.'

Kira looked up.

'Queen Selene?'

The old man nodded.

'She planted these herself many years ago.'

'She always said lilies bloom strongest after the harshest winters.'

'Did you know her well?'

'Only enough to know she was kinder than most rulers.'

Before Kira could ask another question, one of the guards stepped forward.

'Your Majesty ordered us not to let strangers approach you.'

'He's only a gardener,' Kira replied.

The old man chuckled softly.

'No harm meant, my lady.'

As he returned to trimming the flowers, something small slipped from his sleeve.

It landed beside Kira's foot.

She bent down and picked it up.

It was a tiny silver coin.

One side carried the royal wolf crest.

The other bore a crescent moon.

'Where did this come from?' she asked.

The gardener's smile faded.

'Keep it hidden,' he whispered.

'Someone has been waiting to give it back to its rightful owner.'

Before Kira could stop him, he pushed his wheelbarrow away.

The two guards exchanged confused looks.

'Should we arrest him?' one asked.

'No,' Kira answered quietly.

'Not yet.'

That evening, she showed the coin to Derek.

He examined it carefully.

His expression changed immediately.

'This isn't currency,' he said.

'Then what is it?'

'It's the royal succession token.'

'Only members of the Lycan royal family ever possessed one.'

Kira felt the room spin slightly.

'Then why was it given to me?'

A knock interrupted them.

Magnus entered without waiting.

'Your Majesty,' he said urgently.

'We've identified the person who entered the archives.'

'Who was it?' Derek asked.

Magnus hesitated.

'One of the royal council members.'