The palace didn't sleep that night.
Not because of wedding celebrations…
But because of the letter.
The Letter That Changed Everything
> You think the crown is safe now?
Think again.
You are not the only heir.
— R.
Elara stared at it for hours.
Who was "R"? What heir? What secret?
Arian tried to calm her.
But nothing worked.
Except Lina.
Who walked in wearing satin pajamas, holding a dagger and a slice of pie.
"Alright, sugarplum," she said. "We're cracking this mystery. Get your royal butt in gear."
Enter: Operation Royal Ghost
Elara, Arian, and Lina gathered in the hidden library—known as "the room where the Queen hides wine."
A scroll. A family tree. And an old record book of royal births.
"Here," Lina said, tapping a page with jam-sticky fingers. "This name—Rowan. Born the same year as you."
"But he died," Elara said.
"Or so they claimed," Arian added.
The Queen entered.
Saw the book.
Froze.
"Put that down," she whispered.
"Tell me the truth," Elara demanded.
Silence.
Then, the Queen whispered:
"You had a twin brother."
The Secret Twin
His name was Rowan.
He was born minutes before Elara.
Which made him, by law, the true heir.
But on the night of their birth, there was an attack.
The royal physician faked his death.
To protect him.
"He was taken away," the Queen said. "Hidden. No one but your father and I knew."
"Where is he now?" Elara asked.
"We don't know."
Lina Goes Full Spy
Of course, Lina put on a disguise—a full noblewoman's gown, a powdered wig, and a fake mustache named Eduardo—and infiltrated the palace's underground records.
"I found a payment," she whispered later, "made every year to a monastery in the north. Under the name 'R. Alverius.' That's him."
Elara stood.
"We ride at dawn."
Meanwhile… Seduction and Suspicion
That night, Elara was in no mood for sleep.
She paced the balcony.
Arian followed her.
"You're tense," he said, coming behind her.
She sighed. "There's a ghost in my bloodline. A secret brother. A threat to the crown. How do you want me to feel?"
"I want you," he said.
He pressed against her, heat meeting heat, tension dissolving into passion.
"You're not alone," he whispered, kissing her neck. "You never will be again."
She turned in his arms.
Their kiss was desperate. Deep. Filled with fear, love, and fire.
They tore at each other's clothes under moonlight.
He carried her to bed.
She held on like she might never let go.
The Next Morning: A New Message
As they prepared to leave for the monastery, a servant ran in.
He handed Elara a note.
Different handwriting.
> He knows you're coming.
But he's not the one you should fear.
R is only the beginning.
Elara looked up, jaw set.
"Arian. Saddle the horses."