Fated Eclipse: The Illegitimate Princess And Her Alpha Suitors

Chapter 282: The Rose and the Wolf

Chapter 281: The Rose and the Wolf

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

The humour faded from their faces.

Alistair tilted his head, one eyebrow raised in interest, his eyes calculating as he studied Julian with the same intensity he might give a puzzle he was trying to solve.

"Is Lucian right?" he asked. "Is it a princess?"

Julian sighed. Then he adjusted his spectacles, the gesture slower than usual, as though he were buying himself time.

"I am not interested in telling you who it is," he said. "That is my business, and I intend to keep it that way."

No one spoke for a while.

The silence stretched between them, then Lucian nodded.

He did not say anything at first. He simply looked at Julian, his blue eyes unreadable, and then he spoke.

"Good luck," he said. "You will need it."

There was no mockery in his voice. It was a simple statement, delivered with sincerity. Then he turned and walked toward the door, his footsteps echoing softly against the polished floor.

Alistair rose as well. He crossed to Julian and placed a hand on his shoulder, his grip firm.

"Good luck," he echoed, and then he was gone.

The door closed behind them.

Julian too left, and soon only Benedict remained in his chambers, alone with his thoughts. The fire cast dancing shadows across the walls, and the silence felt different now—less charged, but more contemplative.

His valet, Ellis, stepped forward from the corner where he had been standing.

"Forgive me, my lord," he said, his voice quiet, "but is the Baron truly interested in the Princess, as Duke Aurelgrave insinuated?"

Benedict breathed out a laugh. It was a soft sound, almost rueful.

"It was not an insinuation," he said. "It was a statement. He knows what he is talking about."

He paused, his gaze drifting toward the window.

"I have had my suspicions for some time now. But perhaps my newfound friends are all interested in the same person. Myself included," Benedict said with a hum.

Ellis’s brow furrowed.

"Why?" he asked. "Why would they be interested in the Princess, though?"

Benedict turned to look at him.

"Because they know just how useful and essential she is," he said. "She is not merely a princess in name. She is something more. Something that the royal family has tried to hide, but cannot."

"But not everyone knows that," Ellis argued.

"True. But how long do you think that will last? And what makes you certain my newfound friends do not know the truth, or would not find out?" Benedict asked him.

Ellis went quiet at that. His lord’s newfound friends were powerful men, perhaps even more powerful than his lord, and if his lord could obtain information, then it would not be a problem for them either.

Ellis sighed then.

"Will you truly teach the Baron, my lord?" he asked.

Benedict nodded.

"Of course," he said. "He asked me. And he is a friend."

He paused, considering his next words carefully.

"Besides," he added, "it is not as though I have won the Princess’s heart. It is a fair competition, and I know now that I must strive to impress her even more than before. If Julian improves himself, it only makes the competition more interesting."

Ellis opened his mouth to respond, but before he could speak, a knock sounded at the door.

Benedict straightened.

"Enter," he called.

His guard stepped inside, his expression serious.

"What is wrong?" Benedict asked.

The guard crossed the room and lowered his voice.

"The Rose has started making moves," he said.

Benedict’s eyes widened. A slow smile spread across his face.

Ellis’s face went pale.

"The Rose is not supposed to start moving now," he said, his voice tight with panic. "It is too sudden, is it not?"

Benedict shook his head.

"I would expect no less from the Rose," he said. "She is not one to wait for the perfect moment. She creates it."

"We will have to hasten our plans, then," he said. "And I must find a way to bring up the situation to her. We need her as an ally."

---

Meanwhile, Lucian walked through the dimly lit corridors toward his chambers. His footsteps were measured, and he was lost in thought when he heard the sound of an owl.

He stopped.

It was not a real owl—he knew that well enough. It was a signal, a code, a message delivered in the language of the shadows.

He turned and walked toward a darkened alcove, pausing as though to adjust his coat. His fingers brushed against the fabric, but his attention was fixed on the shadows before him.

A voice spoke from the darkness.

"The Wolf has started making moves."

Lucian smiled at that. He had known she would make her moves. He had been waiting for it.

He nodded.

"As expected."

He did not wait for a response. He straightened his coat and continued walking toward his chambers, his steps lighter than before.

Everything was proceeding well with his plans.

---

Duke Thorncrest walked through the corridors with his usual easy stride, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. He passed servants and nobles alike, nodding to those who acknowledged him, when a servant brushed past him.

The contact was brief, but something passed between them—a small piece of parchment, folded tightly and pressed into his palm.

Alistair did not pause. He did not look at the parchment. He simply continued walking, his expression unchanged, until he reached his chambers.

Only when the door closed behind him did he unfold the parchment.

The message was brief.

’She has started making moves.’

Alistair frowned.

It was not the news itself that unsettled him. It was what it meant. He had been watching her, observing her, trying to determine if she was truly who he sought.

And he hoped she was not who he feared she might be.

---

Duke Valenridge lay upon his bed, pillows arranged behind him, his crimson hair falling across his face. His eyes were half-closed, his expression pained.

Tommy, who had been out, came in through the window.

"Your Grace," he said, removing the hood of his cloak, "as you predicted, she has started making moves."

And Evander gave a small smile in reply.

"Things are about to become interesting," he said.