Chapter 238 --238
"I came to this palace seventeen years ago," she said. "I was told the usual things — political alliance, bloodline compatibility, the honour of the position. All of it true and none of it the real reason." She paused. "The real reason was that my family had information. About the sealed record. About the child. And the Emperor — your father — wanted that information where he could watch it."
"Your family knew about Caius," Elara said.
"My family’s estate borders the eastern reach," the Third Consort said. "When a child of significant bloodline is placed with a minor house and constructed histories are filed, word moves through certain channels. My grandfather knew within five years." She paused. "He kept the knowledge as insurance. My father kept it the same way. When the Emperor’s people came looking for what we knew, the negotiation resulted in my presence here."
"A hostage," Elara said.
"A consultant," the Third Consort said, with the faintest shift in her expression that wasn’t quite dry amusement but was adjacent to it. "With limited mobility and no independent correspondence."
Elara looked at her. "For seventeen years."
"The Emperor was thorough," the Third Consort said. It was not said with bitterness. Just accuracy. "He wanted the knowledge contained. My family kept their silence. I kept mine. It was an arrangement." She paused. "A workable one, until eight months before he died."
"When someone else found out," Elara said.
"When someone else found out," the Third Consort confirmed. "I don’t know how. I have theories. But something changed — the Emperor became — different. More controlled in certain ways. Less in others. He began making small adjustments I didn’t understand at the time." She paused. "I understand them now."
"He was trying to move first," Elara said.
"He was trying to neutralise the advantage before someone used it," the Third Consort said. "But he ran out of time."
Elara thought about this for a moment. The corridor was very quiet. Mahir had not moved.