Inside the Parlor.
After dealing with the second branch, Caspian kept Aurelia behind for a private chat. The rest of the family was arranged to stay the night at the estate.
Benedict was badly injured, and Talia, worried for her brother, stayed behind to apply his medication. Since it was still early, Bianca decided to drag Vivienne to Vellmont Lodge to watch the drama unfold.
Both Leander and Dorian looked displeased. Leander, in particular, had thought he could finally strip some power away from the fourth branch, but Caspian merely ordered a light two-hundred lash punishment and dropped the issue. On top of that, he had kept Aurelia for a private talk, throwing the balance of power entirely in favor of the third branch tonight.
Dorian looked at the young man in the wheelchair with a hint of quiet reflection.
Long before this mess, Cyril had advised him that returning to Stormhollow Deepwater Port wasn't a wise move, but Dorian hadn't listened.
First, Evelyn had been overly emotional on the phone, and he was worried his sister would do something foolish that might drag the second branch down. Second, he couldn't bear to let go of the lucrative prize that was the Shadow Chamber.
As it turned out, Cyril had been right about everything.
Dorian reined in his emotions and patted Cyril's shoulder. "Come on, Cyril. I'll walk you back to Blackbriar Wing."
Remaining impeccably calm, Cyril nodded in agreement.
The four residential courtyards were all in the same direction. Dorian smiled at Alaric. "Alaric, want to walk together?"
Alaric nodded.
Seeing this, Leander casually patted Julian's shoulder. "Perfect timing. I'll drop by your courtyard for a bit."
Julian frowned, swatting his hand away. He looked entirely uninterested in socializing.
Vivienne and Bianca exchanged a glance and, playing completely dumb, flanked Alaric on both sides.
Alaric shot Vivienne a cold, dismissive look.
Dorian watched the younger generation interact and teased, "Bianca and Vivienne are just like they were as kids. They still love sticking to Alaric."
As if trying to agree with Dorian, Cyril flashed a mechanical smile. As he smiled, he slightly lowered his head, masking whatever emotion lurked in his eyes.
Julian walked alongside them, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "You've got it wrong, Dorian. These two are just gossiping raccoons. Wherever the drama is, they follow."
The moment the words left his mouth, Vivienne and Bianca both glared at Julian, absolute outrage written across their faces.
"You're the raccoon," Bianca shot back.
Dorian chuckled at their reactions. "Haha, you guys really are exactly the same. At each other's throats after just two sentences."
Julian smirked, casting a sideways glance down at Cyril.
The young man maintained his smile but hadn't uttered a single word the entire time.
Throughout the walk, Dorian constantly brought up new conversation topics, using them as an excuse to secretly observe everyone's reactions.
Alaric was flawlessly composed. Julian was entirely hostile. Bianca exploded at the slightest provocation. Vivienne laughed and goofed around.
When they reached the central courtyard, they parted ways.
Leander followed Julian into Silvercrest Hall. Alaric maintained his aloof distance, offering a brief goodbye before heading to Wolfram Manor.
Vivienne and Bianca stood outside Vellmont Lodge, arms crossed, watching Dorian wheel Cyril into Blackbriar Wing.
"Something's not right," Bianca said, rubbing her chin.
"Agreed," Vivienne nodded in unison. "Something is very wrong."


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