Chapter 98: Raison D’etre
Whatever the princess said, the fact that it involved royalty like her meant only one thing to Velren: a hassle. A convoluted entanglement of politics, power plays, and unseen dangers—none of which he had any interest in.
But before he could voice his thoughts, the princess wasted no time, not even waiting for a reply.
"I’ll get straight to the point," her tone sharpening.
"What happened back on the island during the exam... I believe it was an assassination attempt. And I was the target."
Velren didn’t react. He had already suspected as much, having heard more or less the same information from Professor Vekar and Mikhail.
Seeing that he remained silent, Princess Solenne continued.
"I don’t have concrete proof yet, but certain factions would benefit from my disappearance. And with the upcoming summit... well, I have every reason to believe that whoever was behind it won’t stop there."
She placed her hands on the table, fingers lightly gripping the edge.
"The summit is a gathering of monarchs, nobles, and dignitaries from multiple kingdoms. On the surface, it’s meant to foster diplomacy and trade agreements. But behind closed doors, it’s a battlefield of influence—alliances are forged, rivalries stoked, and power shifts in ways most people never see. If someone wanted to move against me, this would be the perfect stage."
The way she explained it... did she not know about the Kaovus’ origin? And the suspect behind its source? Did Mikhail haven’t told the princess about it?
"All of this sounds important and all," Velren finally said, leaning back slightly, "but what exactly do you mean by wanting me there?"