Chapter 56

The air in the council chamber was thick with tension, the kind that settled in the bones and made warriors reach for their blades without realizing it. The great stone hall, once a place of absolute command under Tharx's rule, now felt more like a battlefield of unspoken words and quiet betrayals.

Aeliana sat at the far side of the chamber, her hands clasped in her lap, her face carefully blank as she observed the men and women seated around the long obsidian table. The empire's ruling elite-the council that had once stood in unwavering loyalty to Tharx-was shifting. She could feel it in the way some of them averted their eyes when he spoke, in the hushed exchanges between meetings, in the carefully worded objections that had started surfacing more frequently. The empire was restless. The rebellion had ignited something, not just in the streets but here, in this very room.

At the head of the table, Tharx stood, clad in dark ceremonial armor, his presence as commanding as ever. Yet, beneath the surface, Aeliana could see the strain. He was still reeling from the recent attacks-the assassination attempt, the riots, the whispers of revolt in the outer territories. He had summoned the council today not to ask for advice but to reassert his dominance.

"This empire does not bend," he said, his voice carrying over the room like a blade slicing through silence. "And yet I hear murmurings of doubt in my own halls. Let me be clear-there will be no negotiations. No compromises. We are at war, and war does not wait for the approval of frightened men."

The words carried weight, but Aeliana saw how some council members shifted in their seats. She knew the difference between respect and fear. Once, they had followed Tharx because they believed in his strength, his control. Now, some followed because they feared what would happen if they didn't. And fear was far more fragile than loyalty.

Lord Varen leaned forward, the silver insignia on his robes gleaming in the dim torchlight. He had been one of Tharx's oldest advisors, a man known for his measured approach. Yet there was something different in his gaze today. A calculated defiance.

"And yet, Your Majesty, even the strongest empires crumble when their rulers forget the difference between control and destruction." His voice was steady, but the words were a challenge. "The people whisper of your actions. The arrests, the executions. They wonder if this empire is ruled by a leader or a man desperate to hold onto power."

A ripple of unease passed through the room. Aeliana saw how the words affected Tharx-his shoulders stiffened, his jaw clenched. She could almost feel the temperature in the chamber drop.

Tharx's gaze locked onto Varen like a predator assessing its prey. "And what would you suggest, Lord Varen? That I let my enemies run free? That I let them gather their strength until they are at my gates, blades drawn?"

"I suggest," Varen said carefully, "that we do not create more enemies than we already have. Fear is a temporary leash. But the more you tighten it, the more they will struggle to break free."

Silence stretched, thick and heavy. No one else spoke. Some of the nobles exchanged glances, others stared down at the table.

Tharx exhaled slowly, as if reigning himself in. "If you doubt my decisions, Lord Varen, you are welcome to leave this council."

Aeliana expected a flinch, but Varen did not react. He simply inclined his head. "I serve the empire, Your Majesty."

The meeting continued, but Aeliana barely heard the rest. Her focus was on the shifting power dynamics, on the weight of Varen's words. He had spoken boldly, too boldly for someone who did not already feel protected.

Something was happening beneath the surface of this court. Something dangerous.

That night, Aeliana moved through the palace corridors with quiet steps, her mind still replaying the tension from the council meeting. She had spent enough time around politics to know when a coup was brewing, and today's meeting had confirmed what she had already suspected.

Tharx thought his rule was absolute.

But there were cracks forming.

She slipped through the hallways, the torches casting flickering shadows against the stone walls. The palace was quieter at this hour, but not empty. Guards patrolled the main halls, their hands resting on the hilts of their weapons, eyes scanning the darkness for threats. Not all enemies came from outside these walls.

As she turned a corner, she heard voices. Low, hushed.

She pressed herself into the alcove of a pillar, slowing her breath, listening.

"I'm telling you, the time is now." The voice was urgent but careful. "The empire is unraveling. The nobles are divided. If we wait too long, he will tighten his grip beyond what we can break."

A second voice, this one quieter, colder. "You overestimate our position. We are not ready."

Aeliana's heartbeat quickened. She recognized one of the voices-Lord Varen.

"I will not sit idle while he destroys everything," Varen said. "The empire was never meant to be ruled like this. There are others who agree, others who-"

A shadow moved near the torchlight, and Aeliana shifted to get a better angle.

But the second figure turned suddenly, as if sensing something. Aeliana pressed herself further into the shadows, willing herself unseen.

The second figure spoke again, voice lower. "We will meet again when the time is right. Until then, be careful."

Varen hesitated, then gave a short nod. They parted ways, one slipping into the hallways leading to the council chambers, the other disappearing toward the lower corridors.

Aeliana exhaled slowly.

She had no proof of what was happening yet, but she knew one thing-Varen was not acting alone.

Later that night, she found Tharx in his war chamber, pouring over battle plans and intelligence reports. He did not look up as she entered, but she knew he sensed her presence.

"Something is coming," she said.

Tharx's brow furrowed, but he still did not look at her. "The rebellion is already here, Aeliana."

"Not the rebellion," she said. "The council."

That made him pause. He lifted his gaze, meeting hers.

She stepped closer. "I overheard Varen tonight. He's involved in something. He wasn't alone."

Tharx's expression hardened. "Varen has always been cautious."

"No," Aeliana countered. "This wasn't caution. This was planning."

For the first time in a long time, she saw something flicker in Tharx's eyes. Doubt.

But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. He straightened, shaking his head. "The council would not move against me."

"They already are," she pressed. "You think you still control them, but they're slipping through your fingers."

His jaw tightened. "Then I will remind them who they serve."

Aeliana exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "You think force will fix this? That more executions will solve your problems?"

His eyes darkened. "It has before."

She took another step forward, challenging him. "And how many more people will you have to kill before you realize that the problem isn't them-it's you?"

His silence was answer enough.

She studied him for a long moment before finally stepping back. "You don't see it," she murmured. "But they're coming for you, Tharx. And when they do, you won't even realize who's holding the blade until it's already in your back."

She turned to leave, but just before she stepped through the doorway, she caught the slightest movement from the balcony beyond the war room.

A flicker of a shadow, there one second and gone the next.

A hooded figure. Watching.

Aeliana clenched her fists.

The storm had already begun.