Love's Unexpected Awakening Elowen's Choice novel Chapter 555

Piers hadn't expected anything different.

He knew his uncle too well.

Gareth had built his reputation over years in the Royal Censorate, known for discipline, restraint, and a mind sharpened by study. But there was one habit he had never shaken.

He stayed out of factions, and more importantly, he avoided making enemies, especially powerful ones.

He moved through court like a careful negotiator, never committing too hard, never closing a door. He greeted everyone with the same measured warmth, always leaving himself an exit.

That balancing act was exactly why he had held his post for over a decade, in a position where most men burned out quickly.

Piers had come tonight because he knew this was how the conversation would go.

His uncle saw too many angles. Piers didn't.

He had never been the kind of man to swallow injustice, and this time, the Crown Prince had pushed things too far.

He had made his wife cry.

Piers' voice dropped, steady but cold. "Uncle, I know why you're holding back. You don't want to cross the Crown Prince. You go back a long way with Lord Colton, and you don't want trouble with the Baker family. And if the Crown Prince takes the throne someday, you don't want him remembering this."

Gareth's smile flickered for a split second before settling again. "You're overthinking things. A man in office answers to principle, not personal ties."

Piers didn't react. "That worked before. It won't work now."

He stepped forward slightly, his tone sharpening.

"The court's shifting. Power's moving. No one gets to stay neutral anymore. The Crown Prince is getting bolder, leaning on Nordia's influence like it's his shield. The Duke of Duskmoor might be taking hits right now, but his standing in the army and his support at court aren't going anywhere. And the other princes? You really think they're just sitting quietly?"

His gaze locked onto Gareth.

"You think you can keep playing both sides. That's not going to hold."

He let that settle, then added, quieter but more pointed, "And there's something else you're not factoring in. I'm married into the Duke's family. We're close with him and his duchess. And tomorrow morning, I'm speaking up in court. I'm taking this straight to His Majesty."

A beat.

"With me standing where I do, how exactly do you expect the Crown Prince to treat you kindly? How do you stay untouched after that?"

"Enough!" the Duke of Falconcrest snapped. "You're too young to understand how any of this works."

Piers didn't back down. "I understand enough. We serve the Crown. We're paid by His Majesty and supported by the people. That means we don't stay quiet when something's wrong."

His voice carried, firm and unwavering.

"The Crown Prince crossed a line. He called in the top candidates under the excuse of helping His Majesty. But His Majesty is in good health. He doesn't need someone stepping in for him. And if that excuse holds, then explain this to me."

His expression hardened.

"Forcing the Duchess of Duskmoor into the Crown Prince's Wing. Was that 'helping' too?"

Silence pressed in.

"She's carrying royal blood. What he did ignored basic decency and family bonds."

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