Aeric froze as he came to know the duke had left for the palace.
The letter trembled slightly in his grasp as his eyes raced over the lines again, disbelief turning into a cold, rising fury. Duke Dom hadn't merely planned to send Belleah as a lady-in-waiting—
He had gone there himself.
Without a word.
Without informing him.
Without even pretending to consult him.
A sharp crack split the air.
Aeric's palm slammed down on the table so hard the ink bottle jumped.
"I knew Father was plotting something," he hissed. "But I didn't know he was capable of this… to this extent." His chest heaved as he collapsed back into his chair, fingers digging into the armrest. "Why doesn't he ever take validation from me? Why am I never worth informing?"
The room swallowed the echo of his anger.
He buried his face briefly in both hands before shoving himself upright again, gaze blazing.
