26. Elena
Idecided not to press my luck.
Alexei barely gets Jasper back through the palace gates before he’s barking orders, voice sharp and controlled in that way that means he’s holding himself together by sheer will.
Jasper is handed off, cuffs clicking, footsteps echoing down sterile hallways toward interrogation.
I watch it happen from a distance, hands folded tight in front of me, and force myself not to interfere. Not now. Not again.
Fletcher steps in beside me, his presence steady as stone. He gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze, grounding, reassuring. “I’ll be in there with him,” he reminds me quietly. “I’ll play good cop.”
A soft laugh slips out of me before I can stop it. “You?” I tease under my breath. “Good cop?”
His mouth curves. “I have layers.”
He gestures down the corridor. “Come on. You can watch from the other side.”
We walk together, the palace quieter here, the kind of silence that hums with secrets. As we go, he glances at me sideways. “You were incredibly brave out there.”
I roll my shoulder, as if I can shrug the word off. “I don’t know about brave,” I say. “I was trying to decide who scared me more in that moment, the man holding the explosive, or my very angry husband.”
That earns a real laugh from him, warm and surprised. “Fair,” he remarks. “Extremely fair.”
He opens a heavy door and steps aside, letting me enter first.
The room beyond is dim, cool, all sharp angles and muted colors.
A large pane of glass dominates one wall, seamless and darkened on our side.
On the other side, under harsh white light, Jasper sits cuffed to a metal chair.
His shoulders sag. His head hangs forward like gravity has finally caught up to him.
Fletcher closes the door softly behind us. “He can’t see you.”
I smile faintly. “I figured.” My eyes stay on Jasper. “I watched a lot of crime television back home.” Jasper stares at the cuffs around his wrists, his eyes glued to the table before him. “Never thought I’d actually be standing in one of these rooms.”
Fletcher studies me. “Is it everything you thought it would be?”
“No.” The word comes out easily. Honestly and immediate.
I tilt my head, watching Jasper rub his wrists against the cuffs, a small, nervous motion. Then I turn to Fletcher. “I know Alexei wants to tear him apart for what he did,” I say softly. “But he’s scared. He’s trying to protect his mother. He’s drowning in guilt.”
Fletcher nods slowly, absorbing that. “He still put my son, you, and our people at risk.”
“I know,” I agree, the weight of it settling into my chest. It’s the truth, even if it hurts.
He turns as if to leave, then stops. “Elena.”
I lower my hand from the glass and look at him. He’s facing me fully now, expression thoughtful, unguarded.
“There was a time,” he continues, “when Alexei would’ve stormed in there without hesitation. He would’ve ended the threat. No questions. No mercy.”
“Partly why I went out there,” I reply softly.
Something like pride flickers across his face.
“You’re good for him,” he adds. “I couldn’t have asked for anyone better.
You soften him where it matters.” His voice drops.
“He was a boy who had to harden too early, a boy who carried guilt that never should’ve been his.
” His hand comes to rest on my shoulder, warm and solid.
“For a long time, I was afraid he’d never see anything beyond the job.
Beyond the need to atone. To redeem himself through sacrifice. ” He exhales. “Then you came along.”
My throat tightens. I blink, hard. My face feels strange, pulled wide by emotion I’m not sure how to hold. Gratitude. Love. A fierce, aching tenderness. I press my lips together, nodding because words won’t come without breaking.
“He was forged as a weapon,” Fletcher continues gently.
“To protect you. I thought that was his purpose.” He smiles, small and knowing.
“I didn’t realize you’d be the one to give him something else.
A reason beyond battle. Beyond death.” He pauses, eyes shining slightly. “Thank you. For loving my son.”
Before I can respond, he steps forward and kisses the top of my head.
It’s simple. Fatherly.
And it hits me like a blow.
For a split second, the room blurs, and I’m somewhere else. Small. Safe. My father’s lips brush my hair as he lifts me, laughter in his chest. The memory flashes bright behind my eyes, warm and sudden, gone as quickly as it came.
Fletcher steps back, clearing his throat, and leaves the room without another word.
I stand there, hands slack at my sides, heart full to the point of aching. The glass vibrates softly in front of me. Jasper shifts in his chair, unaware of any of it.
I draw in a shaky breath. Then another.
I don’t move when the door opens behind me.
I don’t turn when footsteps enter.
Only when I feel the air change, familiar, electric, do I lift my head.
Alexei is here.
And whatever comes next, I’m ready to face it.
“Hey.”
The door opens gently behind me, and the sound pulls me from the glass. I turn, a smile already forming before I even see her. “Hey.”
Hannah steps into the room, eyes bright despite everything she’s been through. “I thought we agreed we were past competitions,” she teases lightly, arching a brow. “The moment we became friends.”
A laugh slips out of me, quiet and breathy, my gaze drifting back to the window where Alexei and Fletcher circle Jasper like patient predators. “You’re the one who keeps trying to outdo me,” I murmur.
She comes to stand beside me, close enough that our shoulders almost touch. The glass separating us and the interrogation room.
“Shouldn’t you be resting?” I ask.
Hannah scoffs. “I’ve done enough resting to last a lifetime.” Then she tilts her head, studying me from the corner of her eye. “Braydon told me what happened. Are you okay?”
I nod, though the motion feels delayed, like my body is catching up to my mind. “I didn’t even think,” I admit. “I just moved… acted.”
She nods slowly, as if that confirms something she’s already known. “When it comes to you, I’ve accepted that as a fact of life.”
I angle my head toward her, smiling. “Let’s not forget who wanted who to be queen.”
“Touche,” she acknowledges, lips twitching. Her attention slides back to the window. “How’s it going?”
“An hour,” I answer. “That’s how long they’ve been in there. He hasn’t given much. Now that he’s free of the device, he’s stubborn. But Fletcher reminds him that my offer of leniency isn’t infinite.”
“So, Oksana and Wendell sent him,” Hannah observes. Not a question.
I cross my arms, the weight of it settling across my shoulder blades. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. She warned me. Said she’d burn Zurdonia to the ground until I came to her.”
Hannah’s jaw tightens. A low sound vibrates in her chest. “Yeah, didn’t think so literally,” she mutters. “Well, she doesn’t know you.”
I smile faintly.
Alexei’s voice carries through the glass, sharper now. “What was your mission?” he asks. “Why were you sent here?”
Jasper looks smaller than he did before. His shoulders slump, sweat darkening his hairline. He drags his hands through his hair, fingers snagging, tugging hard enough to make me wince.
“They wanted proof,” he finally says.
“Proof of what?” Alexei presses.
Jasper swallows. “That it still exists. Whatever gave the queen—” his eyes flick to Alexei, cautious, calculating “—and you, your… gifts.”
It appears Jasper wasn’t giving all the details about the gifts Oksana and Wendell were hoping to find.
Fletcher leans forward slightly. “What does Oksana think you’ll find?”
Jasper sinks back in the chair, exhaustion hollowing him out. “I don’t know. A stone. That’s all they said. I swear.”
“And if you found it?” Alexei asks.
Jasper exhales. “I was supposed to take a piece. Bring it back for testing.”
Alexei and Fletcher exchange a look. Then, without another word, they step away from him and out of view.
“What now?” Hannah asks softly.
I wet my lips. “If it were me,” I say, thinking out loud, “I’d let him go. Give him something that looks like what they want. See where he runs. Hopefully, leading us right to them.”
Hannah’s smile is slow and sharp. “Diabolical,” she says approvingly. She bumps my shoulder. “Alexei’s going to love that.”
The door opens again, and Abby slips inside, already smiling. “Oh, good,” she beams. “Just the people I wanted to see.”
Her gaze flicks to the window. Her smile falters. “Is that—” Her eyes widen. “Is that him? The one who threatened our people? You? Bradley?—”
“Abby,” I say firmly.
She presses her lips together, chastened. “Sorry.” A breath. “Prince Weston is here. He says he needs to speak with you. Urgently.”
Alexei appears in the doorway like he’s been summoned by the tension alone. “Urgent how?”
Abby straightens. “He didn’t say, Your Majesty. Only that it was urgent.”
Alexei’s eyes narrow. “About what?”
Abby glances between us, clearly sensing the shift in the air. “He didn’t specify.”
Hannah clears her throat. “Maybe we give them a moment.” She nudges Abby toward the door. “Come on.”
They leave, the door clicking shut behind them.
I step closer to Alexei. “What’s wrong?”
He rubs the back of his neck, jaw tight. “Don’t you find it interesting that right after today’s incident, the prince suddenly has urgent business?”
I place my hands on his chest, feeling his heartbeat under my palms. “Maybe,” I reply gently. “Or maybe it’s just another day where we’re king and queen, and nothing ever gets to be simple.”
He closes his eyes and exhales. “I don’t like it.”
I rise onto my toes and kiss his cheek. “Don’t worry,” I murmur. “I’ll handle it.”
He pauses. Then, reluctantly, “Fine.”
“What about Jasper?” I ask.
“We’re deciding,” he remarks. “Keep him locked up. Fake his death like you suggested. Or send him back and see what intel we can pull.”
I smile.
He opens one eye. “Why are you smiling?”
I shrug, playful. “I love it when I’m proven right, and we think the same way.”
I kiss the corner of his mouth and turn to leave.