Chapter Twenty-Two
“Tell me again why we’re creating a diplomatic nightmare on purpose?
” Finn stared at the document Darragh was drafting - a complete reorganization of delegation room assignments that would place rival kingdoms next to each other and separate allies.
“I thought we were messing with the table arrangements.”
“We’ve done that, too. But this is equally important, and again, Thomas won’t be able to resist ‘fixing’ it.
” Darragh made another notation. “This puts Queen Valdis two floors below her required accommodation level and assigns the Montclaire ambassador to the east wing, which everyone knows has plumbing issues.”
Helena reviewed the document over Darragh’s shoulder. “The Northern Collective representative is placed next to the Southern Alliance envoy. They haven’t spoken in three years.”
“Perfect.” Darragh signed it with a flourish. “Finn, you need to make this look legitimate. Put it in your handwriting, file it properly, reference it in conversation.”
Finn copied the assignments into his neat script, his stomach churning. The fake document was so obviously terrible that any competent person would immediately flag it, which was the point. It was bait too tempting for Thomas to ignore.
“What if he doesn’t take it?” Finn set down his pen. “What are we going to do if I am wrong about him?”
“You’re not wrong.” Aldric’s lips tightened with suppressed anger.
“After you came to us, I’ve been reviewing records from the past three months.
Every incident has Thomas’s fingerprints on it.
He had access to your office, to the wine delivery schedules, and to the furniture orders.
He was present at every critical juncture. ”
“But why?” Finn’s voice cracked. “What did I do to him?”
“I hate to say it, but it’s because you exist.” Helena’s tone was matter of fact.
“You represent everything Thomas believes is wrong with Darragh’s approach to governance.
He’s spent years trying to make Safe Harbor more refined, more diplomatic, more acceptable to the established kingdoms. Then Darragh marries a carpenter. ”
Finn flinched at the blunt assessment, and Darragh caught his hand. “Finish the document. We’ll make sure Thomas overhears us discussing it, then we wait.”
/~/~/~/~/
An hour later, Finn stood in the main corridor outside the council chamber, speaking loudly enough to be overheard. Thomas was in the adjacent room - Finn could see his shadow through the partially open door.
“The delegation assignments are finalized.” Finn held the false document prominently. “I’ve triple-checked everything. Queen Valdis will be pleased with her accommodations.”
Darragh played his part perfectly, nodding with false satisfaction. “Good work. File it immediately. We can’t afford any last-minute changes.”
“I’ll put it in the secure records room.” Finn made a show of clutching the papers. “This stays locked away until the delegations arrive.”
They walked away, Finn’s heart hammering. Behind them, Thomas’s shadow shifted.
/~/~/~/~/
Midnight arrived cold and silent. Finn pressed himself into the alcove near the records room, barely breathing. The small space smelled dusty, and his legs cramped from staying motionless, but he didn’t dare move.
Darragh stood in the shadows across the corridor. Helena and Aldric waited in the adjacent storage room, positioned to block any escape route.
Footsteps echoed down the hallway. Thomas appeared, moving quietly despite his size. He glanced around, saw nothing, and produced a key to the records room. The door swung open soundlessly. He’d clearly oiled the hinges.
Finn’s stomach churned. Thomas had clearly planned for every eventuality – that door had squeaked when Finn put the fake records in there earlier.
Thomas lit a small lantern and began searching the files. Finn watched him locate the delegation assignments, then pull out the document and spread it on the central table. Retrieving a pen from his pocket, Thomas started making notations in the margins.
From what Finn could see in the dim light, it looked as though he was changing suite numbers, and altering floor assignments. In other words, it made the fake situation even worse and deliberately sabotaged the summit.
Darragh stepped into the doorway. “Working late?”
Thomas jerked, knocking over his lantern. He grabbed it before it fell, turned with wide eyes. “Your Majesty. I was just…”
“Altering delegation room assignments?” Darragh’s voice was ice. “In the middle of the night? In a previously locked room?”
“I was reviewing them.” Thomas straightened, recovering his composure. “I noticed some issues and wanted to make corrections.”
“Issues.” Finn stepped out of the alcove, his voice shaking. “What kind of issues?”
Thomas’s face hardened when he saw Finn. “Diplomatic protocol issues. Inappropriate placements. The kind of mistakes someone without proper training might make.”
“Show me.” Darragh moved to the table and gestured at the document. “Show me these mistakes.”
Thomas hesitated, clearly realizing the trap had closed. Helena and Aldric emerged from their hiding places, blocking the exit.
“The mistakes are obvious,” Thomas finally said. “Queen Valdis placed two floors too low, rivals positioned adjacently, the Montclaire ambassador in substandard quarters…”
“It’s interesting that you know about this at all.” Darragh picked up the document. “Because this is a fake. We created it specifically to see if someone was sabotaging Finn’s work.”
The color drained from Thomas’s face.
“The real delegation assignments are secure and correct,” Darragh continued. “They’ve been correct for weeks. But you couldn’t help yourself, could you? You saw an opportunity to ‘fix’ another of Finn’s supposed mistakes.”
“I…”
“Deny it?” Helena’s voice cut like a blade. “We have witnesses. We have evidence of every incident over the past three months. Wine deliveries. Invitations. Furniture orders. Files disappearing from locked desks.”
Aldric stepped forward, his usual jovial demeanor completely absent. “I’ve known you thirty years, Thomas. I served alongside you under the old king. I never thought you’d stoop to sabotage.”
Thomas’s shoulders sagged. Then, unexpectedly, his spine straightened. Defiance flashed in his eyes.
“Fine.” He set down his pen with deliberate precision. “Yes. I’ve been making things difficult. Someone had to.”
Finn’s breath caught.
“This summit is too important to be ruined by someone who doesn’t belong here.” Thomas looked directly at Finn, his expression filled with open disdain. “You’re a carpenter. A fifth son of a minor earl. You have no business being king consort of Safe Harbor.”
Each word landed like a physical blow. Finn forced himself to stand still, to keep his face neutral.
“You have no training, no education in diplomacy, no understanding of court protocol.” Thomas’s voice rose.
“You’re going to embarrass us in front of the entire World Council.
You’re going to destroy our reputation and prove to everyone that Darragh made a catastrophic mistake in choosing you over qualified candidates. ”
The words echoed in the small room. Finn’s throat tightened, but he kept his voice steady. “So you tried to make sure I failed.”
“I tried to make you see reason.” Thomas turned away, unable to meet Finn’s eyes now that he’d said the words out loud.
“If you failed badly enough, you’d leave voluntarily.
Darragh could find someone suitable. Sure, you two would still be married, but you’d disappear into the wilderness of Winrone, and Darragh could have someone by his side who actually knows what they’re doing.
I was trying to save Safe Harbor from humiliation. ”
“By creating the humiliation yourself?” Darragh’s anger was cold and controlled, more frightening than if he’d shouted. “By sabotaging the summit you claim to be protecting?”
“I would have fixed it.” Thomas’s voice was defensive now. “Before the delegates arrived. I would have corrected everything and made sure the summit ran perfectly. I just needed Finn to realize he wasn’t capable…”
“Finn IS capable.” Darragh’s words cut through Thomas’s explanation. “He figured out what you were doing. He set this trap. He’s been managing an entire castle, coordinating a summit, and dealing with your sabotage simultaneously. That takes competence you clearly can’t recognize.”
“He doesn’t belong…”
“He’s my husband.” Darragh’s voice dropped to something dangerous. “He’s king consort. And you’ve betrayed both of us and this kingdom with your snobbery and sabotage.”
Thomas finally looked at Darragh, a look of grief crossing his face. “I served your father for twenty years. Served you for five. Everything I did was for Safe Harbor.”
“No.” Darragh shook his head. “Everything you did was for your idea of what Safe Harbor should be. An idea that values appearance over substance, tradition over growth, and protocol over people.”
Helena moved forward, her expression carved from granite.
“You have a choice, Thomas. Resign quietly tonight and leave Safe Harbor. We’ll provide references for service rendered prior to this incident.
Or face formal charges for sabotage and treason, which will be tried publicly and will destroy not just your career but your family’s reputation. ”
Thomas looked between them, calculating. Finn saw the moment he realized his career was over either way.
“I’ll resign.” His voice was hollow. “I’ll leave tonight.”
“Pack your belongings.” Aldric’s disappointment was palpable. “Be gone by dawn.”
Thomas nodded once. He walked to the door, paused, and looked back at Finn. “You still don’t belong here. Nothing changes that.”
He left, the door closing behind him with a quiet click.
Finn stood frozen, Thomas’s final words reverberating in his skull. You still don’t belong here.
“Finn…” Darragh started.
The shaking hit without warning. Finn’s hands trembled violently. His legs went weak. He grabbed the edge of the table to stay upright.
“He was right, though.” Finn’s voice came out strangled.
“I don’t belong here. I’ve been failing at everything except the things he sabotaged.
All my mistakes were real - the diplomatic incident with Count Villiers, the problems with the staff, the confusion in council meetings. All of it. Thomas just made it worse.”
“That’s not true…”
“It is!” Finn’s control shattered. “I seated Count Villiers wrong because I don’t know protocol.
I reorganized the laundry and broke the entire household system because I don’t understand how castles work.
I confused import and export taxes because I never learned economics. Those weren’t Thomas. Those were me.”
Darragh moved toward him, but Finn backed away.
“Thomas was trying to protect Safe Harbor from me. Maybe he was right. Maybe I should leave before I destroy everything at the summit.”
“Stop.” Darragh crossed the distance between them in two strides and gripped Finn’s shoulders. “Don’t give him that power. He was wrong about you. Wrong about everything.”
“How?” Finn’s voice cracked completely. “How was he wrong? Name one thing I’ve done successfully as king consort. One diplomatic success. One policy improvement. One…”
“You rebuilt the morale of the entire castle staff within a month of arriving. You identified and solved the structural issues in the east wing that we’ve been ignoring for years.
You created organizational systems for this summit that are so thorough that even Thomas’s sabotage couldn’t break them.
” Darragh’s fingers tightened. “You saw through his manipulation when the rest of us missed it. You planned this trap. You stood here and faced him down without flinching.”
Finn shook his head, tears burning his eyes. “I changed everything about who I am, and it still wasn’t enough…”
“Because he never wanted it to be enough.” Darragh pulled Finn against his chest. “He wanted you to fail regardless of what you did. You could have been perfect, and he still would have sabotaged you.”
The dam broke. Months of stress, fear, self-doubt, and exhaustion poured out in wrenching sobs. Finn collapsed against Darragh, his legs giving out completely. They sank to the floor together, Darragh holding him while he cried.
“I’m so tired.” Finn’s words came between gasps. “I’m tired of being wrong, tired of failing, tired of not being enough…”
“You’re enough.” Darragh pressed his face against Finn’s hair. “You’ve always been enough. I’m sorry I didn’t protect you better. Sorry, I let him hurt you. Sorry, I didn’t see what was happening.”
Helena and Aldric quietly left, closing the door behind them.
Finn cried until he had nothing left, until his throat was raw and his head pounded. Darragh just held him, one hand stroking his back in steady rhythms. Eventually, Finn’s breathing evened out into hiccups. He felt wrung out, hollow.
“I don’t know how to do this anymore.” His voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t know who I’m supposed to be. The real me fails, but the fake me isn’t real. I’m lost.”
Darragh shifted, tilted Finn’s face up. His eyes were fierce. “Then we figure it out together. No more struggling alone while I tell you it’ll be fine. No more me assuming love is enough without helping you navigate this world. We’re partners. That means I fight beside you, not behind you.”
“What if I can’t…”
“You damn well can.” Darragh kissed his forehead. “You already have. The summit preparations are solid. Your organizational systems work. You’ve learned more in three months than most people learn in years. And now Thomas is gone, no more sabotage. No more second-guessing yourself.”
Finn wanted to believe him so badly, wanted to trust that it could be that simple. But in truth, he was so tired.
“Come on.” Darragh stood and pulled Finn to his feet. “Let’s get you to bed. You need to sleep without this hanging over you. Getting some real rest for a change, instead of just closing your eyes.”
They walked through the quiet castle, Darragh’s arm around Finn’s waist. Finn leaned against him, too exhausted to maintain any pretense. In their chambers, Darragh helped Finn undress, tucked him into bed, and then slid in beside him and pulled him close.
This time, Finn let himself be held. Let himself be vulnerable. Let the rigid control finally drop. “I’m scared.” The admission came more easily in the darkness. “I’m scared the summit will be a disaster. I’m scared I’ll prove Thomas right.”
“Then we’ll deal with it.” Darragh’s arms tightened. “Whatever happens at the summit, we handle it as partners. No more carrying everything alone.”
Finn closed his eyes, exhaustion pulling him under. For the first time in weeks, he felt like he could actually breathe…and sleep.