Chapter 185 CHAPTER 185
The palace was quieter than usual at that hour.
Vaughn walked between two royal guards with his jaw set tightly. He was not chained, not dragged, not treated like a criminal. But the fact that he was being escorted at all was insult enough in his mind. His robes were hastily thrown over his night clothes, his hair only partially combed back, and his pride far more wounded than his dignity.
The torches along the corridor burned low, casting long shadows that stretched across the marble floor. The night outside pressed against the tall windows, dark and watchful, as though the kingdom itself were holding its breath.
He had been pulled from his home late at night.
And he was furious.
The chamber doors opened before him, and he stepped inside without waiting to be announced.
King Ethan sat on the throne, not slouched, not rigid, but composed. His posture was relaxed in a way that made it difficult to read him. His hands rested calmly on the armrests, and the faint light from the torches reflected in his eyes. There was no visible anger in his face.
That unsettled Vaughn more than rage would have.
“What is the meaning of this?” Vaughn demanded before the doors had even fully closed behind him. “To be dragged from my house at this hour like some common thief? Have I fallen so low in your estimation, Your Majesty, that I must be summoned in secrecy like this?”
Ethan did not immediately respond. He watched Vaughn for a moment, studying him the way one studies a chess piece before moving it.
“You were escorted,” Ethan corrected calmly. “Not dragged.”
Vaughn scoffed. “Escorted in the dead of night. Without explanation. That is hardly respectful.”
“You may carry Lycan blood,” Vaughn said, his voice edged with restrained anger, “but that does not give you the right to treat the elders of Mooncrest as though we are beneath you. I have disagreed with you in council, yes. I have challenged your decisions openly. That is my duty as an elder. But if this is your way of silencing those who do not bow to you, then you are misusing the authority entrusted to you.”
He took another step forward, his frustration spilling more freely now.
“There are traditions in this kingdom that even kings must honor. Elders are not summoned like criminals simply because they refuse to echo the king’s opinion.”
Ethan watched him carefully before responding.
“What makes you think,” he asked evenly, “that I summoned you because you disagreed with me on council matters?”
Vaughn blinked, momentarily thrown off by the question. “Is it not obvious?” he replied sharply. “What else would prompt your guards to pull me from my bed and bring me here in secrecy? I have done nothing wrong.”
“Nothing wrong?” Ethan repeated quietly.
Vaughn straightened. “Nothing.”
His voice held firmness, but beneath it there was the faintest tremor. He did not miss the way Ethan’s gaze lingered on him a fraction too long.
Ethan leaned back slightly against the throne. “Are you certain?”
“I am,” Vaughn replied, forcing confidence into his tone. “If you intend to accuse me of something, I suggest you speak plainly.”
Ethan exhaled slowly, as though mildly disappointed.
“I have evidence,” he said at last. “Evidence that suggests otherwise.”
Vaughn’s heartbeat quickened, but he refused to let it show. “Evidence?” he repeated, almost amused. “Of what exactly?”
Ethan gestured subtly toward one of the guards. A tablet was brought forward and placed into the king’s hand. He tapped the screen once before holding it out.
“This,” he said.
The image displayed a figure exiting a narrow alleyway in the city. The man was cloaked heavily, his face partially obscured, his posture guarded. The timestamp glowed faintly in the corner of the image.
Vaughn studied it briefly before looking back at Ethan with deliberate indifference.
“And?” he asked. “You show me a cloaked man in the city. Who is he supposed to be?”
“You,” Ethan replied simply.
Vaughn allowed himself a short, incredulous laugh. “How can you possibly conclude that? Anyone can dress like that. This proves nothing.”
Ethan nodded once, as though expecting the denial. He tapped the screen again.
A second image appeared.
This time, the figure’s face was visible as he turned slightly toward a parked car. The lighting was clearer. The angle unmistakable.
“Do you recognize him now?” Ethan asked.
For a fraction of a second, Vaughn’s face drained of color. The shock was immediate, instinctive. Then, just as quickly, he gathered himself.
“So I went to the city,” he said, lifting his shoulders slightly. “Is that a crime now? Must I seek your permission to leave Mooncrest?”
“No,” Ethan replied calmly. “It is not a crime to visit the city.”
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharpening.
“It becomes a crime when you meet with a man who was banned from this kingdom by my grandfather. A man declared a criminal. A man who forfeited his right to set foot in Mooncrest.”
Vaughn’s silence deepened.
“Would you care to explain,” Ethan continued evenly, “why you met with Darius?”
The name hung in the air like a blade.
Vaughn’s jaw tightened. “I do not know what you are talking about.”
Ethan did not argue. He simply swiped again.
The third image filled the screen.
It was taken from inside the establishment itself, captured by a security camera mounted discreetly in the corner of the back room. The angle left no room for interpretation. Vaughn sat across from Darius at a small wooden table. Their faces were clearly visible. Their conversation frozen in time.
This time, Vaughn did not speak.
He stared at the image for a long moment, his mind racing through possibilities that were no longer available to him.
“Tell me the truth,” Ethan said quietly. “Why did you meet him? What are you planning?”
There was no shouting. No threat.
Only expectation.
“If you speak honestly now,” Ethan added, “I will take that into account when the council convenes tomorrow. I will consider leniency.”
Vaughn lifted his eyes slowly.
“You think this is treason?” he asked, his tone shifting from defiance to coldness.
“I know it is,” Ethan replied.
Vaughn inhaled deeply. For a moment, something conflicted flickered across his features. Then it hardened.
“I have nothing to confess,” he said firmly. “And I will not grovel before you to avoid judgment. If the council wishes to question me, I will answer to them.”
Ethan studied him carefully. He saw the pride. He saw the fear beneath it. And he saw the choice being made.
“So be it,” Ethan said at last.
He turned toward the guards.
“Escort Elder Vaughn to the holding chambers,” he instructed calmly. “Ensure he is given a comfortable room. He is still a member of this council until proven otherwise.”
The guards stepped forward immediately.
Vaughn stiffened as they took position at his sides again, but he did not resist. As he was led toward the door, he paused briefly and glanced back at Ethan.
“You are playing a dangerous game,” he said quietly.
Ethan did not flinch.
“No,” he replied evenly. “I am ending one.”
The doors closed behind Vaughn with a solid, measured sound.
The chamber fell silent.
Ethan remained seated for several moments, staring at the empty space where Vaughn had stood. His expression did not change, but his thoughts moved carefully through what lay ahead.
This was no longer a suspicion.
It was conspiracy.
And if Darius had chosen this moment to resurface, then the kingdom stood on the edge of something far greater than disagreement within council chambers.