They did not rush it.
Instead, they circled the palace over the following days, entering only as far as their disguise and timing allowed, then withdrawing again before suspicion could form. It became a pattern of its own, one built on patience rather than force.
Each entry was different, each exit calculated.
Sometimes they moved with patrol groups, blending into routine rotations as if they belonged there. Other times they entered as passing officers on errands, using Patrick's familiarity with command structure to justify their presence in restricted corridors. Every step inward was measured, never repeated in the same way twice.
Lucas kept the focus on observation.
Not confrontation.
Not action.
Observation.
