The Crown We Break

Chapter Six: Fault Lines

Chapter Six: Fault Lines

The Hall of Accord had always echoed.

Its stone curves and vaulted ceilings carried every whispered doubt, every footfall, every clenched jaw.

Today, it trembled with silence.

Caelan stood at the center of the chamber. The seats around him were occupied — but no one spoke. Not yet.

They were waiting.

Waiting to see what kind of king he would be today — the quiet prince who fled from a crown, or the hardened reformer who returned with a broken one in his hands.

He lifted the sealed letter Lyra had brought back from Thalen.

Marked with the sword-through-crown sigil.

“We were told they still believe in the kingdom,” he said, voice low but steady. “Just not in us.”

Vos exhaled sharply. “That’s not belief. That’s revolution.”

“They’re wearing masks now?” Elric asked. “Gods, that’s a cult.”

“Or a community,” Lyra offered.

Several heads turned.

Caelan looked at her gratefully, but she didn’t flinch from the weight of the room. She had become more than his advisor — she was the fulcrum the council leaned toward when the future wobbled.

“People want more than governance,” Caelan continued. “They want to feel seen. They want a place at the fire.”

“And they can’t have that from behind masks and spears,” Vos muttered.

Caelan raised the parchment higher.

“This isn’t just a warning. It’s a signal. They’re ready to act. And Sareth has allies. East of Dunwild. We have confirmation.”

Menal leaned forward. “Do we know who?”

“Not yet,” Lyra said. “But whoever they are, they know our weak points. Old tunnels. Guard patterns. Council routes.”

A beat of tension snapped through the room.

“Someone is feeding him information.”

⸻

The Suspect

Later that evening, Caelan met privately with Lyra and Menal in the map chamber. The table was littered with council reports, coded messages, and supply ledgers.

“Too many delays in Eastgate,” Menal said, tapping one of the scrolls. “Every third caravan rerouted. Weapons shipments disappearing before they reach the frontier.”

Lyra added, “Sareth’s movement isn’t just growing — it’s predicting us.”

Caelan rubbed his temples.

“We have a traitor.”

The word felt sour in his mouth.

Lyra nodded. “We need to find them before Sareth strikes.”

Menal hesitated. “I have… suspicions.”

“Who?” Caelan asked.

Menal exhaled. “Vos.”

Caelan blinked. “He’s one of the oldest members.”

“Exactly,” Menal said. “He has reach, history, grudges. And he’s always resented that you didn’t take the crown fully.”

Lyra frowned. “But he wants war. Sareth wants control without blood. They’re not aligned.”

“Unless Vos thinks backing Sareth will bring blood,” Menal countered. “The kind that makes people cry out for a real king again.”

Caelan shook his head slowly. “No. Not yet. We watch him. But no accusations. Not without proof.”

⸻

Divided Loyalties

The next morning, Caelan found Vos alone in the southern wing, overlooking the courtyard. Soldiers trained below — their grunts and steel clatters echoing off the stone.

Caelan stood beside him in silence.

“You built something fragile,” Vos said eventually.

“I know.”

“Some would say you broke something stable to do it.”

“Stable for you, maybe. Not for the people.”

Vos glanced sideways. “Do you think they’re better off now? The farmers of Thalen? The orphans in Dunwild? The tradesmen waiting three months to be heard by a council of strangers?”

Caelan answered carefully. “We’re building something new. That takes time.”

“It takes fire,” Vos said. “And fear. Sareth understands that. You do not.”

Caelan turned to face him fully. “Do you?”

Vos didn’t answer.

But his eyes said more than words.

⸻

The Letter

That night, Caelan sat in his private study. He had dismissed the guards. Even Lyra.

He read the letter again.

The one delivered anonymously three days ago.

Written in a familiar hand.

A hand he once knew well.

He read the signature.

“—From your brother in silence,
Sareth”

Below it, a single sentence burned like ice:

“When you stand on the ashes of your council, remember: I gave you the choice.”