The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

Sylvian returned to the estate in the evening with the frustration of not able to meet Iliana. He looked down at the carefully wrapped box in his hands, the token Eilika had prepared for him to deliver to her.

As he stepped into the main hall of the estate, the heavy silence of his thoughts was broken by the sound of Roman running around the room. Nearby, Eilika and Damian sat together, deeply engrossed in quiet conversation over their evening tea.

Before Sylvian could utter a word of greeting, the heavy front doors burst open and a guard came sprinting inside, breathless.

”Your Grace, a messenger from Prince August has just arrived from the palace,” the guard announced, his voice tight with urgency.

The room fell instantly still. Every eye turned toward the guard, including Roman’s, who skidded to a sudden halt.

Damian and Eilika abandoned their tea cups, rising to their feet in unison, while Sylvian turned sharply toward the entrance.

”Joanna, take Roman upstairs immediately,” Eilika commanded her personal attendant. The maid moved without hesitation, gathering the young boy and ushering him quickly toward the safety of his chambers.

The moment the confidant stepped across the threshold, both Sylvian and Eilika recognized his face. He offered a swift, taut bow to the three of them before delivering his grim report.

”Your Grace, Prince August has been shot within the palace grounds. I must speak with the Duke and Duchess in absolute privacy regarding this matter.” He remained bowed, awaiting Damian’s assent.

”What? Why was August even at the palace? Who shot him?” Sylvian demanded, his face clouding with deep concern.

The confidant remained tight-lipped, offering only the barest essentials to satisfy Sylvian’s immediate alarm without exposing the deeper plot.

”Come to my study,” Damian commanded, his expression hardening. He glanced at Eilika, then looked back at his brother. ”Sylvian, wait here.”

Damian and Eilika led the way toward the heavy oak doors of the study, with August’s confidant, Samir, following closely at their heels.

Once the heavy doors clicked shut behind them, isolating the trio from the rest of the manor, Damian turned sharply. ”Speak.”

Without wasting a single second, Samir laid bare the entire sequence of events, the ambush August had devised, the confession he had wrenched from Xavier, and the turn the confrontation had taken in the palace courtyard.

”August acted entirely on recklessness,” Damian said, his voice laced with grim frustration.

”We must present the true evidence to the King immediately, or Prince August will face a swift charge of high treason,” Eilika countered, her mind racing through the political fallout.

”And how are we supposed to achieve that?” Damian muttered, running his fingers through his hair as the weight of the crisis settled on him. ”Xavier will undoubtedly destroy every single scrap of evidence that might still exist before we reach him. And the Queen... she will never allow August to survive this. He has marched blindly into a minefield.”

”Tomorrow is your father’s death anniversary; we cannot abandon the estate for the capital now,” Eilika reasoned. ”We must enlist Prince Sylvian’s help to manage this.”

”Prince August specifically commanded me not to let Prince Sylvian get involved in this,” Samir said, his voice laced with hesitation.

”But we have no one else who can act as a shield for August in the capital,” Damian countered flatly. ”August has his own doubts and suspicions, but I know my brother. Sylvian fights for the truth. And so does the Crown Prince and the King, once the facts are laid bare.”

”I will go call Prince Sylvian inside,” Eilika said, stepping toward the heavy oak door.

Damian gave a firm nod, watching her leave the room before turning his sharp gaze back to the messenger.

”How exactly did August find out that Xavier was behind the massacre of the Spencer family?” Damian demanded.

”Your Grace, the Prince did not share that detail with me,” Samir replied truthfully, keeping his head bowed.

Damian hummed and waited for Eilika to return. A few minutes later, she was back with Sylvian by her side.

”Eilika told me everything. My mother could never kill August’s mother,” Sylvian declared coldly as he stepped into the room. ”He abducted my uncle and staged a reckless assault in the center of the palace. August is manipulating both of you.”

”No, he is not,” Eilika countered firmly, turning sharply to face him. ”Your Highness, Prince August rode to the capital because your uncle was the direct link to the Spencer family massacre. This was something Prince August told me before leaving to the capital. I lied to you that day because he thought you would stop him.”

Eilika then took a brief pause before continuing, ”Prince August believed that forcing a confession from Xavier would uncover the truth about that slaughter. Never did he anticipate that Xavier would confess to the Queen murdering his mother, and it was that revelation that shattered Prince August’s restraint.”

”Sylvian, August is not always wrong,” Damian reasoned. ”I know the weight of this accusation, but look at the facts. August was shot right on the palace grounds, on an immediate signal, despite the King’s command to the guards that no one was to fire. Someone wanted him silenced permanently.”

”You need to leave for the capital now and save August’s life. The Queen will ensure he doesn’t survive if he is left unprotected. Do not let that happen. Take my car and ride out immediately to shield your brother. Eilika and I will follow you to the capital tomorrow, the moment we finish the rites for my father’s death anniversary.”

Sylvian curled his fingers into tight fists. ”If my mother is truly involved in this and I fail to save August... I won’t be able to forgive myself,” he murmured, his gaze dropping to the floor.

Damian walked over to his desk, pulled open the top drawer, and retrieved the brass key to the new motorcar he had purchased just a few days prior. He tossed the key toward Sylvian.

Sylvian’s hand shot out, catching it out of the air.