The Prince's Arranged Marriage
Chapter 71: The Trap

Chapter 71: The Trap

The quiet before dawn was a careful thing—softer than silence, yet threaded with anticipation. Alexander and I rose long before the first rays of sunlight crept over Valtoria’s gilded rooftops. In the private study off our chambers, we laid out maps, letters, and scraps of evidence we had gathered over the past week. Marisella and Captain Archibald stood by, faces tense yet determined. Our allies—Sybil and Gabriel—waited in the shadows beyond the door, young eyes bright with purpose.

"All right," Alexander said, voice low but steady. "Today we catch our traitors." He tapped the ledger page implicating Hadrian. "Hadrian will bring the envoy here at dawn. Torric and Elowen will accompany him. They think they control the palace’s secret route. But we’ll be waiting."

I traced a finger along the map. The old Pavilion of Whispers—the abandoned rotunda in the east gardens—was the rendezvous point. Its ivy-clad columns were perfect for secrecy, yet close enough to the palace to allow swift intervention. I had spent nights mapping every hedge and hidden path; tonight’s trap would use those secrets.

Marisella cleared her throat. "The suspects will approach through the south labyrinth entrance. If they proceed to the pavilion, guard squads will surround all exits. Two squads will conceal themselves in the garden bushes; two more behind the eastern wall. Archibald will position a third squad near the pavilion’s rear corridor."

Captain Archibald nodded. "We have ten guards in dark uniforms. They’ll move silent as shadows. When you give the signal, we’ll flood the pavilion from every side."

Alexander turned to me. "Your Highness?"

My heart thudded as I met his gaze. "We do this together, sir."

He reached across the table, gripping my hand. "Together."

We reviewed the plan one last time: the watchful eyes in the labyrinth, the concealed guards, the signaling mirror in my hand, the whistle in Alexander’s pocket. At first light, we would catch the conspirators in flagrante — in the very act of treason.

---

A sliver of pink dawn lighted the horizon as the first figures slipped into the labyrinth’s ivy arch. I stood at the south entrance, cloaked and silent. Sybil crouched beside me, playing the role of a late-night caretaker. Gabriel held the lantern—its glow dimmed by a cloth—ready to leap into action.

From a hidden alcove I watched Hadrian appear first, sweeping coat tails over the dewy grass. Behind him came Torric, shoulders square, eyes darting, and last, Countess Elowen, her steps measured, her pale gown slipping softly through the hedges. None of them spotted us. They moved like conspirators certain of their advantage.

Hadrian paused, scanning the pavilion ahead. Torric stepped forward, voice low in the morning hush. "She should be here by now." He gestured toward a hooded figure at the pavilion door—the Aradeth envoy. A proud stance, even in shadows.

Elowen laughed softly. "Your Highness, you underestimate her." She waved a gloved hand. "She passes trust down the line. It will come."

I concealed my breath as they crossed the fountain’s edge and entered the pavilion itself. The envoy followed, closing the door behind him. Once the last pillar hid them, I lifted a small mirror to catch Alexander’s attention at the pavilion’s rear window. He nodded—a slight but unmistakable motion.

Sybil, Gabriel, and I melted away through the hedges, making our way to the northern approach. The air was still cool, carrying a faint scent of jasmine from the central garden. Every sense amplified, I could hear the rustle of cloaks and a single soft cough.

"Steady," Captain Archibald’s whisper came from my left. His guards pressed tight against the wall. On my right, another squad crouched behind stone benches. I risked a glance: their faces were set, voices hushed.

Inside the pavilion, I heard Hadrian’s voice raised. "Where is the confirmation? Show me proof of the mine shipments!"

A pause. Then the envoy’s staccato Aradeth accent, "Be patient. Our agreement stands. Wait until the council recess."

Torric laughed. "Council is irrelevant once the mines begin shipping."

Elowen added in a silky hiss, "By then, your crown’s authority will be compromised."

That was our signal. I stepped onto the flagstones and clicked my whistle. The sharp note split the dawn. Guards burst in from the east corridor while Archibald’s men poured through the hedged entrances. I stormed the pavilion’s main door with Alexander at my side, sword drawn.

"By order of Prince Lucien and Prince Alexander," Alexander’s voice rang out, "you are under arrest for high treason against Avaloria."

Hadrian lunged for the envoy’s scabbard; Torric drew a dagger; Elowen darted toward the door. Guards tackled the envoy to the ground. Two swords glinted as guards disarmed Torric and Hadrian. Elowen shrieked and tried to run, but Marisella emerged from a corner, holding a rope she had used to bind the conspirators’ hands.

I faced Elowen squarely. "You have the right to remain silent."

Elowen’s mouth quivered, her composure gone. "You’ll regret this!" she spat.

Alexander pressed a hand to my shoulder. "Secure them."

Within minutes, all three were bound and stood beneath the pavilion’s shadowed roof. The palace guard arrived in force, led by Captain Archibald. He motioned for the envoy as well — the foreign blade at his belt confirming his guilt. The corridor guards shuttered the door. We had them.

---

The aftermath was swift. News of the arrests spread through the palace like wildfire. Ministers who had hovered nearby whispered with wide eyes. A sense of vindication surged through me—yet relief was tinged with caution. Had we truly dismantled the entire web? Or only severed a single thread?

In the council chamber later that morning, Alexander led the session. The dais was cavernous in its emptiness. Seats normally filled by Hadrian, Torric, and Elowen stood vacant, draped in black cloth. Their names were absent from the roll call.

Alexander spoke first. "This court will now witness a trial for high treason. Charges have been laid against three ministers and one foreign envoy. They conspired to undermine our kingdom’s sovereignty for personal gain."

He recounted the evidence—my ledger discoveries, the forbidden correspondence, the envoy’s secret meetings. My own testimony followed: how I found the scroll in the archives, tracked the envoy’s carriage, and orchestrated this dawn arrest. The chamber was silent, even the usually talkative aides hushed in awe.

By midday, the accused were escorted through the Great Hall to the Royal Dungeons. As their procession passed, I stood beside Alexander beneath the vaulted arches. Torches lined the path, casting flickering shadows across grim faces. The accused looked pale: Hadrian’s arrogance melted into dread; Torric’s practiced composure shattered; Elowen’s defiance wilted. The envoy, hooded, did not resist.

When the iron doors clanged shut, a chorus of whispered "Long live the princes" rose from the gathered courtiers. I exhaled, heart pounding at the finality. The first wave of betrayal was swept from Avaloria’s shores.

---

That evening, Alexander and I retreated to the rooftop terrace overlooking Valtoria’s lights. The sky was aflame with sunset, gilding spires and rooftops in rose and gold. We found a quiet stone bench beneath an arched trellis draped with ivy. Guards remained discreetly at the terrace entrance, but otherwise, the world felt ours.

He wrapped his arm around me. "You led them into the light," he said softly, pride shining in his gaze. "Your courage saved the throne."

I leaned into him, fatigue and triumph mingling. "I couldn’t have done it without you."

He pressed a kiss to my temple. "We did it together."

I closed my eyes, tasting the moment: the sigh of the evening breeze, the distant bells welcoming dusk, the warmth of Alexander’s hand on my shoulder. For a long time, we sat in silence, letting the events of the day settle around us.

---

When the moon climbed high and the first stars appeared, I rose suddenly. "Come," I said. "There’s one more place I want to see."

He followed me through the palace corridors to the east garden. The pavilion, now empty, stood silent beneath the moon. The ropes that bound the conspirators still hung from a column. My own dagger lay on a nearby ledge, sheathed and no longer needed.

I approached the center of the pavilion, where the envoy had knelt before being taken. Alexander stood beside me, hand in mine.

I closed my eyes for a moment, recalling every step: the slipper, the whispered halls, the dangerous chase, the final triumph. It felt like another lifetime.

When I opened my eyes again, I turned to Alexander. "The court still has shadows," I said quietly. "This was but one web. But for tonight, at least, we’ve won."

He smiled, brushing a stray curl from my brow. "And tomorrow, we keep shining the light."

Under the moonlit rotunda, I felt the full weight of the positions we now held—and the strength of the bond between us. Together, we would face whatever new conspiracies arose, knowing that love and justice walked hand in hand.

As the palace bells tolled midnight, we stepped from the pavilion side by side, ready to walk back to our chambers—and whatever dawn might bring.