The Prince's Arranged Marriage-Chapter 107: The Kingdom’s Theatre II

At dawn, the palace felt like a cage around a cage.

Alexander stood in a narrow corridor outside Varric’s residence wing, listening to the muffled sound of voices through the door. His men were placed quietly along the hall not obvious guards, but enough presence that no one could slip out unnoticed.

The captain beside him whispered, "Seraphine entered an hour ago. Two clerks followed. Then one healer."

Alexander’s eyes narrowed. "A healer."

The captain nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."

A healer meant stagecraft.

Alexander’s jaw tightened.

He was already too late for something.

He didn’t know what, but he could feel it.

Another guard approached quickly, breath controlled. "Your Highness. A courier was spotted leaving the wing ten minutes ago."

Alexander’s gaze sharpened. "Where."

"Toward the east service roads," the guard said.

Alexander’s mouth tightened.

Service roads again.

Movement.

Transport.

They were relocating Lucien either after staging something, or before.

Alexander’s voice went low. "Follow."

The guard hesitated. "Your Highness, if we pursue, Varric could use the gap"

Alexander cut him off. "Varric is trapped. Lucien is moving."

He turned sharply and strode down the corridor, cloak snapping behind him.

His men followed instantly.

As he moved, another messenger appeared from the opposite end, pale and shaking.

"Your Highness," the messenger stammered, "the council is calling for an emergency public address. They claim Prince Lucien has-has requested private rest."

Alexander stopped.

The words felt like ice.

Requested private rest.

A story.

Too clean.

Too fast.

Alexander’s gaze lifted slowly. "Who claimed it."

The messenger swallowed. "Councilman Varric. Lady Seraphine. They say there were witnesses."

Witnesses.

Alexander’s hands clenched.

He forced his voice calm. "Where is the address taking place."

"In the council hall," the messenger said quickly. "Within the hour."

Alexander stared at him for one heartbeat, then nodded once.

"Good," Alexander said.

The messenger blinked. "Good, Your Highness?"

Alexander’s smile was cold. "Because now they’ve committed publicly."

He turned to his captain. "Send one team to trail the courier. Another team to the council hall."

The captain nodded. "And you, Your Highness?"

Alexander’s gaze went sharp. "I will go to the council hall."

"Your Highness, if Lucien is being moved"

Alexander’s eyes hardened. "If I let them control the public story, the rescue becomes harder. They’ll claim he asked for this. They’ll claim he’s safe. They’ll claim I’m overreacting."

His voice dropped, lethal. "And then they’ll disappear him completely."

The captain swallowed. "Yes, Your Highness."

Alexander moved.

When he entered the council hall, the room was already full, nobles, clerks, scribes, men who loved ink and hated accountability.

Varric stood at the front, calm as ever, Seraphine at his side, poised and composed.

Alexander walked in and felt the room stiffen.

Varric’s smile widened slightly, as if he’d been waiting.

"Your Highness," Varric said warmly, "we were about to reassure the people"

"Reassure them with lies," Alexander replied, voice calm.

A ripple moved through the room.

Varric’s expression didn’t change. "Your Highness, Prince Lucien requested"

"Stop," Alexander said quietly.

Varric’s smile tightened. "We have witnesses."

Alexander’s gaze turned cold. "Witnesses can be bought. Or frightened."

Seraphine stepped forward, voice smooth. "Your Highness, please. This is for Avaloria. Prince Lucien was coherent. He spoke willingly. He asked for privacy."

Alexander stared at her.

The anger in his chest rose hot.

He swallowed it down and let it become something colder.

"Then bring him," Alexander said.

Seraphine blinked. "Your Highness"

"Bring him here," Alexander repeated calmly. "If he spoke willingly, he can speak again. In front of me. In front of independent healers. In front of the people."

Varric’s smile thinned. "That would violate his privacy."

Alexander’s eyes sharpened. "You care about privacy now."

The room went silent.

Alexander stepped closer, voice still even. "If you claim he asked for rest, produce him. If you claim he’s unwell, produce him. If you claim he’s safe, produce him."

Varric’s smile held, but his eyes chilled. "Your Highness, your grief is making you unreasonable."

Alexander leaned in slightly. "And your confidence is making you sloppy."

Varric’s gaze flickered.

Alexander continued, voice low and precise. "You told the people a story too quickly. Which means you’re trying to seal the narrative before truth arrives."

Seraphine’s face tightened.

Alexander straightened. "Here is my statement," he said, turning his voice louder for the scribes.

"Prince Lucien of Veridian has not requested rest. He has not been seen by independent healers. He is missing, and someone in this room is benefiting."

A sharp inhale moved through the crowd.

Varric’s smile finally slipped just slightly.

Alexander saw it.

He pointed gently almost politely toward Varric and Seraphine. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"If you continue this address," Alexander said calmly, "I will treat it as treasonous manipulation of the crown."

Varric’s eyes hardened. "You cannot"

Alexander’s voice cut cleanly through him. "I can."

Silence.

Then, from the back of the room, a clerk stumbled forward, face pale.

"Your Highness," the clerk whispered, voice shaking, "I-I was present at a private meeting this morning."

Varric’s head snapped toward him.

Seraphine stiffened.

Alexander’s eyes narrowed. "Speak."

The clerk swallowed hard. "Prince Lucien... he said he was being held against his will."

The room went dead silent.

Varric’s face went smooth again, but his eyes were sharp as blades.

Alexander’s heart slammed.

Truth.

A crack in their theatre.

Seraphine’s voice tightened. "That clerk is mistaken."

The clerk shook his head, trembling. "He said it clearly. He... he named himself. He said he hadn’t signed anything."

Alexander’s gaze stayed on Varric. "Witnesses," he said softly. "Interesting."

Varric’s smile was gone now. "Your Highness, you are allowing chaos."

Alexander smiled faintly. "No."

He stepped forward, voice turning colder.

"I’m allowing truth."

And as the council hall held its breath, Alexander knew one thing with brutal clarity:

Lucien was fighting them with words.

So Alexander would fight them with law and if law failed, then with something sharper.

Because the kingdom’s theatre was collapsing.

And the men behind the curtain were about to be dragged into daylight.

And he would make sure he triumphed.