Chapter 152- Plans in the Shadow of Peace
Lexy
I stood at the high window of the war chamber, watching the horizon with a gaze sharpened by weeks of tension. The sun hovered in the sky, staining the clouds with hues of fire, and in that glow, I saw the flicker of what was coming—not peace, not alliance, but war.
Adrian was still in my territory, sick and unknowingly trapped, but time was no longer my ally. It was a flame licking at my heels, warning me that unless I found definitive proof of his betrayal—something the alliance couldn’t ignore—he would leave my lands, return to his, and strike while cloaked in legitimacy.
And if that happened, there would be no second chances.
I turned from the window, walking back to the large table in the center of the room. It was covered in layered maps, marked with inked trails, patrol shifts, supply routes, and coded notes passed between my warriors. A thick folder rested at the edge—everything Tarria had brought back from her capture. But even Tarria’s brave efforts had only given them suspicions and fragments.
I didn’t want suspicion. I wanted facts. Hard evidence that Adrian wasn’t just scheming behind their backs—but actively plotting to overthrow the alliance by force, using Tarria’s name as a false symbol of his cause.
“Lexy,” came a voice at the door.
It was Helio, my father, and behind him, CJ followed, eyes already scanning the room for signs of progress.
I nodded once, motioning them in. “Close the door.”
CJ secured it with a soft click while Helio moved beside me, his expression stern but quiet. He had taught me how to lead in moments like this—when everything hung in the balance, but I still had to act like the ground beneath my feet was solid.
“We still don’t have enough,” I said quietly, pressing my palm flat on the map. “Even if we present Tarria’s account, without something that can tie Adrian to direct orders or a movement against the alliance, the elders will call it circumstantial.”
CJ crossed his arms. “You think they’ll take his side?”
“I think they’ll hesitate. And hesitation is all Adrian needs.”
Helio nodded. “Then we must prepare as if the alliance won’t hold.”
I met his gaze, my spine straightening. “That’s what I called you both here for.”
I swept her hand across the table. “We begin final preparations tonight. In case diplomacy fails, in case Adrian walks out of here without a mark on him, we’ll be ready.”
CJ raised an eyebrow. “Ready to go to war?”
I nodded once. “If I can’t stop him with truth, then I’ll stop him with strength.”
The room fell into quiet agreement. There was no need for speeches. They had all seen the signs.
I moved with purpose now, my voice steady as I laid out the updated plans. “I want our border scouts doubled but rotated in pairs. No patterns he or his spies can track. If Adrian slips out while still sick, I want to know within minutes.”
CJ pulled out a worn notebook and scribbled. “I’ll handle the shift rotations.”
“Good. The volunteers from the exchange program—any who weren’t hand-selected by Adrian’s side—need to be moved quietly to secure areas. Tell them it’s part of the alliance training drills.”
“And if they ask questions?” Helio asked.
“Lie,” I said simply. “For now, everyone outside this room is on a need-to-know basis.”
I moved to another section of the map, my fingers trailing across a set of markers surrounding the southern region. “We need supplies routed to the outer posts discreetly. Food, weapons, medicine. Nothing overt enough to raise alarm, but enough to sustain our forces if we’re cut off.”
Helio studied me with quiet pride, but a shadow passed over his face. “Once Adrian’s recovered, he’ll push to leave. He’ll make it seem like we tried to trap him. If he spins that story first, the alliance may believe him.”
I nodded grimly. “That’s why we have to act now—before he’s back on his feet, before he can control the narrative.”
I crossed to a smaller desk in the corner and picked up a letter sealed in dark red wax. I turned it over once more, knowing it could tip everything.
“It’s from Raelo,” I said finally.
CJ stiffened. “You’ve been writing to him?”
“Indirectly,” I said. “Tarria remembered something Kael said while she was held. Something about Adrian’s father… about a prophecy and a faction that Kael was warned not to trust. I reached out to one of Kael’s rivals for clarity, offering a future alliance if he gave me something I could use.”
CJ frowned. “Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Yes,” I admitted. “But so is letting Adrian leave here alive with his secrets intact.”
I broke the seal and unfolded the parchment, scanning the contents again. “It confirms that Adrian and his father had been working for years to reclaim what they believe is ‘their birthright.’ It’s vague, but it connects them to the disappearance of dissenting council members in the outer tribes.”
“That’s still not solid proof,” CJ said.
“No,” I murmured, setting it down, “but it’s close. One more piece and I’ll have the leverage I need to expose him.”
I looked up, resolved burning behind my calm. “But until I have it, we prepare as if it will never come.”
Helio approached and gently placed a hand on my shoulder. “You’ve grown into a queen your ancestors would be proud of.”
My throat tightened, but I held his gaze. “They didn’t leave me peace. They left me purpose.”
I turned back to the map. “CJ, I need you to activate the Whisper Pack.”
CJ blinked. “They haven’t been called in years. They answer only to the high council.”
“Not anymore,” I said. “They answer to me. And I want eyes and ears on every border Adrian might slip through. If there’s even a whisper of movement, I want to know.”
CJ nodded slowly. “I’ll see it done.”
“And dad, speak with the Elder Matrons again. Quietly. If the proof doesn’t come and war begins, I want their tribes to have a path to safety. Let them know I’ll protect them… even if the council doesn’t.”
Helio dipped his head. “Consider it done.”
The three of them stood in silence for a moment, the gravity of the decisions anchoring the air.
“I never wanted this,” I admitted at last. “An alliance built on hope. A future shared. That’s what we all wanted.”
CJ stepped beside her. “But hope without truth is just a dream. And dreams won’t hold back men like Adrian.”
“No,” I agreed, my voice firm now. “But I will.”
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