House Reedsworth must fall.
The problem was making it happen.
Darian stood beside the tall windows of his study, one hand resting against the edge of the desk as his gaze remained fixed on the dark grounds outside. The estate had gone quiet for the night, save for the occasional footsteps of a guard moving through the corridors below and the faint crackle of the fire behind him.
They had power, influence, money, and most importantly, the backing of the Emperor himself. House Reedsworth had spent years building their name into something even the imperial court couldn’t easily touch, and Darian knew better than most that dragging them down would take more than accusations and a few missing shipments.
Anyone who knew Erik knew he had something to do with their trafficking.
Darian had seen enough to be certain of it.
The Reedsworths controlled one of the largest shipping routes through the Western Sea, which made it remarkably easy for them to move people and goods without anyone asking too many questions. Children disappeared, shipments were altered, records were changed, and somehow every trail that should have led back to the family always seemed to disappear before it reached the imperial court.
The same thing happened with the military grain.
Food and supplies meant for soldiers stationed along the western waters somehow vanished before reaching them, while the Reedsworths continued to grow richer. Darian had been trying to uncover where the grain was going for months, but every lead eventually brought him back to the same wall.
The Emperor.
Without Erik’s protection, Darian was certain the Reedsworths wouldn’t dare be half as bold as they were.
That was what bothered him.
Not the family itself. He already knew what they were.
It was the fact that his uncle suddenly wanted him married to one of them.
Darian turned away from the window, his expression darkening as he looked over the papers scattered across his desk.
Erik had never cared whether Darian married. He had spent most of his life treating him as a useful problem rather than a nephew, and the idea of suddenly wanting him settled down was almost laughable.
There was something deeper behind it. And being unable to see what it was unsettled him.
Was it meant to distract him from the lands he had been fighting for?
The thought had crossed his mind more than once.
The court meeting regarding the eastern farmlands was already being pushed through despite his objections. If Darian became occupied with an engagement, wedding arrangements and whatever political games came with marrying into House Reedsworth, his attention would be divided.
Perhaps that was exactly what Erik wanted.
Darian’s fingers tapped once against the desk before stopping.
But then why the Reedsworths?
There were dozens of noble houses loyal enough to the Emperor to make a suitable alliance. Why choose a family closest to his own wealth?
His gaze settled on the Reedsworth seal stamped across one of the reports.
Something wasn’t right.
Erik was many things, but he wasn’t careless. If he was forcing this marriage, then there was a reason.
Darian just had to figure out what it was before his uncle decided to reveal it himself.
The door to his study pushed open, and Hartley stepped inside wearing his nightclothes, looking more tired than Darian had seen him in the morning.
"I received word from our men, my lord."
Darian moved from the window as the old butler approached. He took the rolled piece of paper Hartley held out and quickly unfolded it, his eyes moving across the words.
A shaky laugh escaped him.
"It says there’s a bounty from Erik in the black market?"
Hartley’s brows furrowed as he looked at him. "His Majesty is the Emperor. If he wants something, he need only command it. Why would he hide it and have men searching for it through the black market?"
Darian sighed, leaning back against the edge of his desk as his mind began racing through everything that had happened over the past few weeks.
His uncle was becoming increasingly difficult to understand.
First, his persistence with the eastern farmlands, despite knowing exactly what taking them would do to the farmers who depended on them. (Not that he was sure that part bothered him)
Then, almost without warning, he had decided Darian needed to settle down and had chosen House Reedsworth for him.
And now he was secretly searching for something through the black market.
None of it seemed connected.
That was what bothered Darian most.
Erik was unpredictable, but he wasn’t careless. There was always a reason behind his actions, even when Darian couldn’t see it immediately.
He looked down at the paper again, his fingers tightening slightly around it.
"What exactly is he looking for?"
"We don’t know yet," Hartley admitted. "Our men only managed to confirm that the bounty came from the palace."
Darian’s gaze hardened. "Then find out more."
Hartley nodded.
"I want to know who placed it, who is carrying the message, and what exactly they’re being asked to find." Darian folded the paper again, his thoughts already turning over the possibilities. "And I want the information before my uncle realizes we’re looking into it."
Hartley gave a quiet nod. "Consider it done, my lord."
He turned toward the door.
"Hartley."
The old butler stopped and glanced back. Darian’s expression remained thoughtful.
"Keep this between us."
"Of course." Hartley left, quietly closing the door behind him.
Darian remained where he was, staring at the paper in his hand.
A bounty in the black market.
Whatever Erik was looking for, he clearly didn’t want the imperial court knowing about it.
And that alone was enough to make Darian want to find it.
And he would find it!
___________
Hello there! It’s your favorite sleep deprived author... I hope you all enjoy my story! I will love to hear your thoughts on it.
Also sorry for the slow updates, been having a really bad headache recently for some reason... But I will get better!
But then gifts also help as medicine yk🫠
Okay gotta go! Promise a mass update when I get better...