Fated Eclipse: The Illegitimate Princess And Her Alpha Suitors

Chapter 280: The Gathering

Chapter 279: The Gathering

Lyria shook her head at Pippa and Debbie, a faint smile tugging at her lips despite the weight of the conversation.

"Securing a-all five allies, and perhaps even m-more, would likely be i-impossible," she said, her voice steady despite the stammer that clung to her words. "If I c-can secure three, then that is e-enough. Three powerful allies can shift the b-balance of power. Five would draw too m-much attention, too much suspicion. Three is m-manageable."

Pippa opened her mouth as though to argue, her brow furrowing with the intensity of someone who had already decided that more was better. But Elara placed a hand on her arm, a silent gesture that stilled her before she could speak. Pippa fell silent, though her expression remained unconvinced.

Elara smiled at the princess’s words.

She doubted very much that Princess Lyria would end up with only three allies. All five of the most powerful suitors would support her in time. That was the simple truth, whether the Princess saw it or not.

Princess Lyria had not yet noticed the pull she had on the most powerful candidates currently residing in the palace. She did not see the way they looked at her, the way they spoke of her, the way they had positioned themselves to protect her without her even asking. But Elara saw it. She had been watching long before she ever stepped into this chamber, long before she had made the decision to serve the Princess.

She remembered the day she had approached the Head Maid, Elinor, and told her she wished to work with Princess Lyria. Elinor had been genuinely shocked—that Elara had decided to serve the princess without even being told to do so.

It did not take long for Elinor to grant Elara’s request, though, because she too understood Elara’s reasons, and perhaps if she were given the chance, Elinor would serve the Princess directly.

To be honest, Elara cared less about revenge than the others did. The story she had told the Princess was not her full story, and she knew the Princess suspected as much. In fact, Princess Lyria suspected all of them. She was doing a good job of not showing it outright, but Elara could see it in the way she watched them, the way she weighed their words, the way she did not push when they held back. The Princess was far more perceptive than she let on.

Debbie had not even told her story, and Princess Lyria had not forced her to speak. She had simply accepted it and moved on, giving Debbie the space she needed. That was not the mark of someone who was naïve or careless. That was the mark of someone who understood that trust could not be demanded—it had to be earned.

Elara’s smile deepened.

She had made many mistakes in her life. She had trusted the wrong people. She had looked away when she should have acted. She had let fear guide her decisions when she should have followed her instincts. But she had a feeling that siding with Princess Lyria was the best decision she could have made. The results were not yet clear, but she knew—deep in her bones—that this was where she was meant to be.

Lyria’s voice cut through her thoughts, pulling her back to the present.

"Apart from allies, we n-need information," she said. "Power without k-knowledge is useless. We n-need to know our enemies’ w-weaknesses before we can a-act."

She turned to Bridget, her gaze steady.

"You still have the t-task of finding out what is g-going on with Baron Frederick," she said. "He is afraid of s-something. I want to know what it is."

Bridget nodded, her expression serious.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Lyria turned to the others, her gaze sweeping across them.

"We also need i-information against the r-royal family," she said. "The King. T-the Queen. J-jacinta. We n-need to find something that can bring them d-down. W-without that, even with a-allies, we will be unable to do a-anything."

Elara nodded slowly, her mind already turning over the possibilities.

"I will gather what I can," she said. "Information about the royal family. Information about the suitors. I will find out who can be trusted and who cannot. There are always whispers in the palace—secrets that people think are hidden. I will find them."

The other maids nodded in agreement, their faces set with determination.

Lyria’s gaze swept across them, assessing, measuring.

She paused, and when she spoke again, her voice was softer but no less certain.

"N-now, let Phineas and B-Brayden in," she said.

The maids exchanged glances. Pippa’s brows drew together in confusion.

"Your Highness?" she asked.

Lyria met her gaze steadily, her eyes holding a quiet certainty.

"If you have your s-stories to tell," she said, "then surely the g-guards do too. I am not f-foolish enough to b-believe that you and the g-guards a-are not working t-together."

Elara smiled again.

It was the same knowing smile she had worn earlier. She moved to the door without hesitation and pulled it open.

Phineas and Brayden stood outside, their postures alert, their expressions unreadable. They had been listening, of course. They had heard everything. They stepped inside without hesitation, the door closing behind them with a soft click.

---

Meanwhile, across the palace, a very different gathering was taking place.

Baron Redwick stood in Earl Hawthorne’s chambers, his hands clasped loosely behind his back, his expression thoughtful. Duke Aurelgrave occupied a chair near the window, his posture relaxed. Duke Thorncrest sat too, a smile on his face.

"Where is Evander?" he asked. "He is never this late. He is always the first to arrive when something interesting is happening."

Benedict shrugged, his broad shoulders rising and falling with the gesture.

"I do not know."

Lucian shook his head, a sigh escaping him.

"I encountered his valet earlier," he said. "He was searching for Evander, who appears to be missing... again."

He paused, looking around the room.

"Now, tell me," he said, turning to Benedict, "why are we all here? What is this about?"

Benedict gestured toward Julian.

"It was Julian who gathered us," he said.

All eyes turned to Baron Redwick, who adjusted his spectacles.

"How... how does one get stronger physically?" he asked.