Chapter 7: The Midnight Intruder
The heavy archive door swung open with a slow, agonizing creak, revealing the tall, imposing silhouette of Captain Morvath. He stepped into the dimly lit room, closing the door softly behind him. The golden lamplight caught the polished steel of his breastplate and the cold, unreadable expression in his eyes.
"Captain Morvath," Aurelia said, her voice dropping an octave into a dangerous, commanding register as she kept Julian safely hidden behind her skirts. "What is the meaning of this intrusion? The royal archives are strictly off-limits without a decree from the crown."
Morvath bowed his head slightly, though there was no true respect in the gesture. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. But high-security protocols require me to monitor all movements within the palace after midnight, especially concerning... unverified visitors."
"This 'visitor' is my son," Aurelia shot back, stepping forward to block Morvath's line of sight toward Julian. "And you know it as well as I do. Or are you acting on orders from High Chancellor Vane, who fears what we might find buried in these historical records?"
Morvath’s eyes flicked briefly toward the open birth registry on the desk, noting the glowing luminescent mark still faintly visible on the page where Aurelia had been reading. A cold, cynical smile touched the corner of the captain’s mouth.
"The Chancellor only has the kingdom's stability at heart, Your Majesty," Morvath replied smoothly, his hand resting casually on the pommel of his sword. "A street child claiming the throne creates dangerous instability. Lords are already mobilizing their private guards in the outer provinces. If this charade continues, blood will flow through the cobblestones of the capital before the week is out."
"It is no charade!" Julian suddenly piped up from behind Aurelia, stepping out with clenched fists and tear-streaked cheeks. "I am the prince! I have the crest, and I have the mark!"
Morvath’s gaze locked onto the boy, and for a fraction of a second, a flicker of genuine malice crossed the hardened soldier’s face. "A mark can be scratched, little one. A crest can be stolen from a dead man's pocket."
"Enough!" Aurelia roared, stepping directly into Morvath’s personal space, her royal authority radiating with such intensity that the seasoned captain instinctively took half a step back. "Leave this room immediately, Morvath. If you take one more step toward my son, I will strip you of your rank, your title, and your sword before sunrise."
Morvath stared at her for a long, agonizing moment, weighing the risks of a direct confrontation inside the archives. With a slow, calculated nod, he bowed mockingly.
"As you command, Your Majesty," Morvath said, turning on his heel and slipping back out into the darkened corridor, leaving the heavy door unlocked behind him.
Aurelia exhaled a long, shaky breath, her knees trembling slightly from the adrenaline surge. She turned back to Julian, pulling him into a tight, fierce embrace.
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"We cannot stay in this palace much longer, Julian," she whispered urgently against his messy light brown hair. "There are vipers in every corner. We must find a way out—and find out who really ordered the fire ten years ago."
***
