Return of the General's Daughter

On the day Lara was summoned to the royal palace, Gideon and the twins flanked her like silent sentinels. The palace gates loomed high under the golden early afternoon sun, casting short shadows across the cobblestone pathway. Mira trailed behind them, her presence announced with a flutter of skirts and a sugary smile. She insisted she had an appointment with Princess Ceres—an excuse, but none bothered to challenge her. The group moved through gilded hallways and marble corridors until they reached the King’s court. Lara’s gaze locked on a familiar silhouette.

"Isn’t that Kasmer?" she murmured as she approached the two who had just exited the king’s court.

She looked again—yes, it was him. Kasmer stood beside a middle-aged man with silver-white hair, the two of them just exiting the court.

The resemblance was uncanny, but Lara’s sharp senses detected something off. The man’s scent was wrong—faintly perfumed and foreign—and his posture lacked the regal and commanding aura she had come to associate with Alaric.

"Kasmer. You’re here too?"

He paused mid-step and gave her an awkward nod, unsure whether to offer a smile or maintain formality.

"My Lady. We were just leaving," he said, tone stiff with uncertainty.

Lara frowned. When she looked closer, she realized something was wrong. The man wasn’t Alaric. He smelt different and his demeanor was far from Alaric. Then could it be that Alaric impersonated a real person?

"My apologies," she said smoothly. "I thought I recognized someone else."

She turned and melted back into the crowd, seeking her brothers.