Chapter 40

Bianca steps lightly along the corridor. The time is calculated, as is the location. Jasper often uses this hallway on his way from his meetings with his mother. The route is quiet, lightly trafficked, and easy to slip away from without drawing attention.

She hears him before she sees him. His footsteps are unhurried, his voice low as he finishes a passing conversation with a guard. By the time he rounds the corner, Bianca is already looking up like she’s just now noticed him.

“Oh,” she says, smiling. “Jasper. What a surprise.”

He raises an eyebrow, not quite stopping. “Bianca. How are you today?”

“Okay,” she answers smoothly. “I was on my way to the library to look up something for Luna training. Boring, really.” She tilts her head. “You seem like you’re in a hurry.”

“Royal duty waits for no one.”

She laughs softly. “Have you seen much of Ember lately?”

That makes him pause.

“A few times,” he says. “Why?”

Bianca shrugs. “She’s changed since I last saw her regularly. All that duty and discipline. It suits her, in a way.” She lets the thought trail off for a moment before continuing. “But I wonder if anyone ever gets past the armor.”

Jasper watches her, still leaning on patience rather than curiosity.

“She’s not easy to reach,” Bianca continues, keeping her voice light. “But someone with the right charm, the right confidence… might have a chance.”

“Are you suggesting something?”

“I’m suggesting nothing,” she replies with a smile. “Just observing. She’s very strong, but even strong people have soft places. I think someone like you might be able to find them.”

He doesn’t respond right away. Bianca keeps her tone pleasant, her body relaxed. After a pause, she adds, “I think it could be good for both of you.”

With that, she steps back toward the turn in the hallway.

“Anyway,” she says, smoothing the edge of her sleeve. “I won’t keep you.”

She leaves him standing there and doesn’t glance over her shoulder. If anyone saw them talking, they’d assume she was just being kind. Supportive. Sisterly.

In truth, Bianca has no interest in whether Jasper wins Ember over. What matters is the appearance of a connection. If the mark is ever revealed, the cover story must be ready. A bond

with Jasper would explain away that pesky mark if it were to come to light. Especially if Bianca has positioned herself carefully far from the center.

She rounds the corner and disappears from sight.

What she doesn’t see is the expression on Jasper’s face as he remains rooted in place. It had all started as a way to pass the time. Flirting with Ember had been fun, especially when Kaine started to notice.

Over the last few weeks, however, something about her has shifted the game. She has never sought him out, never bent under pressure or charm. Her indifference hasn’t discouraged him. If anything, it’s made her stand out more.

He’s seen how she handles herself in a tense moment without blinking, seen the way she follows orders. She shoulders her responsibilities without a second thought.

She’s not like anyone else here. For the first time, he wonders what it would mean if he actually tried.

Ember

By now, I know the rhythm of the work. It helps keep the rest of my thoughts in check. The small, concrete tasks of reviewing files and monitoring shift changes give me just enough control over the day.

The two junior guards I now supervise pass by my office. I call them in and review their incident summaries one by one, correcting the structure on their reports and reminding them how to submit security reviews by the new deadline.

They listen and nod and leave without complaint. One of them glances back before the door closes, but says nothing. The scrutiny hasn’t faded.

I feel it in the glances, in the hesitations. Some people respect the patch on my shoulder now. Others keep looking for the first sign I didn’t earn it. I don’t have time to worry about their opinions.

Even with the structure of my duties, Nara is restless. “He keeps appearing. Always when you’re alone.”

I know.

She means Jasper. His timing is never an accident. He always seems to appear when the halls are quiet, when I’m between tasks or distracted.

I try not to overthink it, but the frequency is impossible to ignore. He’s not just flirting anymore. I don’t know what the new game is.

I set the logs aside and reach for the summary file Prince Kaine sent me yesterday. The inconsistencies in the border documents are still bothering me. I highlight two mismatched signatures again and jot a note down beside one of the pages.

A knock breaks the silence.

Jake tells me that Prince Kaine wants to compare notes on the forged records. I thank him and gather the reports into a neat stack. When I arrive at Kaine’s office, the door is already open.

He doesn’t look up right away. “Close the door,” he says.

I do.

He gestures to the table between us and waits as I set the files down. His eyes skim the page I’ve marked, then narrow. “You flagged this section before. Why?”

“The signature doesn’t match the other property requests, and the authorization line is blank.”

He leans forward slightly, examining it for himself.

When he speaks again, his tone has shifted.

“Jasper’s been very involved lately.”

I blink. “What does that have to do with the records?”

Prince Kaine doesn’t answer the question. “He seems drawn to certain types of situations, and people.”

I set my hand flat on the file.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

“You’ve been… noticed. That tends to attract interest.”

My voice tightens. “Are you implying I enjoy the attention?”

“I’m implying nothing. But you seem to draw the same kind of attention again and again.”

I stare at him.

“I’m a palace guard. I’m doing my job. If that’s a problem, you should say so directly.”

The tension in the room doesn’t move. He doesn’t retreat, but he doesn’t push further either.

He watches me like he doesn’t know how to proceed.

Nara speaks clearly in the silence between us.

“He’s not worried about the job. He’s worried about you. This is jealousy.”

I exhale through my nose and turn back to the document in front of me. His presence is still sharp beside me, but I refuse to rise to it again.

I finish reviewing the last sheet and slide it across the table.

“You have everything you need.”

He nods, but says nothing else.

I don’t wait for dismissal.

When I reach the hallway again, the air feels sharper. My fingers are tense at my sides. My mind moves too fast.

This is why we stay focused. This is why we build boundaries.

Prince Kaine can think what wants, but he doesn’t get to speak in riddles. He doesn’t get to suggest that my presence is disruptive and then act like it isn’t personal.

Distance is easier. It’s cleaner. It keeps everything in the lines, and if the lines are the only thing protecting me, then I’ll draw them deeper.