The palace had grown quieter, but not calmer. Whispers followed Damien and Helena everywhere. Their staged closeness, stolen glances, gentle touches it was all part of their elaborate game. And it was working. Alec had grown distant, restless. He avoided Damien during court sessions and no longer smiled when their eyes met.
In public, Helena played her role perfectly. She laughed at Damien's jokes, looped her arm through his during strolls, and even let him kiss her hand dramatically before meals. Behind the scenes, they shared winks and quiet laughter at how convincing their act was. But the game was starting to stir more than just gossip.
Prince Caspian watched it all with careful eyes.
One morning, after council meetings ended, he motioned for Damien to follow him into the western wing of the palace the one few dared enter without invitation. Once alone, Caspian folded his arms and leaned against a cold marble pillar.
"So," he said, casually. "You and Lady Helena."
Damien smirked. "What about us?"
Caspian raised an eyebrow. "Do you take me for a fool?"
Damien chuckled under his breath. "You've always been sharp, brother."
"Too sharp to believe you've suddenly fallen head over heels for a girl you barely glanced at some days ago." Caspian pushed off the pillar. "Talk."
Damien sighed, lowering his voice. "It's an act."
Caspian blinked, then a grin crept up his face. "You're kidding."
"I'm not." Damien crossed his arms. "She's helping me make Alec jealous and also deceiving the people"
Caspian burst into soft laughter. "Oh, that's wicked. Clever, but wicked."
"It's working." Damien glanced down the corridor. "He's cracking. I can see it."
Caspian's smile faded slightly. "Be careful. Jealousy is a slow poison—it turns affection into rage if not managed well."
Damien's expression sobered. "I know."
"Does the king know?"
"No. And let's keep it that way."
Caspian nodded. "For now."
Damien looked at his brother with curiosity. "Why aren't you stopping me? I thought you'd scold me about honor or loyalty."
Caspian shrugged. "Because I trust your heart more than your decisions. And because I know you're not cruel you're just... desperate to be seen."
The words hit Damien harder than he expected. "Thank you."
Caspian gave his shoulder a firm squeeze. "Just don't burn the whole kingdom down trying to get one man to notice you."
Elsewhere, Helena moved through the palace garden with her usual grace, eyes scanning the ivy-covered walls. It was there again that chilling sensation, like someone watching. It wasn't the usual stares from guards or nosy handmaidens. This was different. Older. Darker.
She turned quickly but found nothing. Just the sway of vines in the morning wind. Still, something wasn't right.
She walked further into the garden, tracing the path that wrapped behind the rose maze. At the far end, a shadow flickered tall, hooded, and fast. Her breath caught.
She ran after it.
Her footsteps were soft but swift across the stone, her heart pounding. She reached the back of the hedge wall but found nothing. No trace. No sound. The figure had vanished.
She frowned and crouched low, examining the soil. Fresh prints light but clear. Someone had been there. Someone who didn't want to be seen.
Helena's eyes narrowed.
Who was watching Damien? And why?
She stood, brushing her dress clean. Something was very wrong in the palace. Her instincts screamed it louder every day. Whoever that shadow was, it wasn't just an idle spy. It was something worse. Something dangerous.
But for now, she'd keep this to herself.
That night, the trio sat together at the royal feast King Lucian at the center, with Prince Caspian and Damien to his right, and Helena beside Damien. Alec sat at the far end of the table, trying not to look their way. His jaw was tight, his goblet untouched. Every time Damien laughed and leaned close to Helena, Alec's knuckles tightened around his spoon.
Helena whispered something in Damien's ear. He laughed ,loud, carefree and gently brushed a loose curl from her cheek.
Alec stood suddenly, his chair screeching back.
All eyes turned.
"I'm not feeling well," he muttered, bowing stiffly before exiting the hall.
Caspian leaned toward Damien. "You're playing with fire."
Damien smiled without humor. "Let it burn a little."
Later that evening, as Helena returned to her chamber, she paused at her door. It was open slightly ajar.
She reached for the dagger hidden in her sleeve and pushed the door inward...No one.
But her books had been touched. The folded parchment on her desk moved. A faint scent lingered in the air, unfamiliar and sharp, like old wine and leather.
Someone had been there.
She walked in and locked the door behind her. Someone was starting to dig too deep.
And she didn't like it one bit.
The palace corridors whispered with secrets, and Helena was beginning to hear them. After her near encounter with the figure in the garden, her instincts had sharpened like a blade. She didn't sleep that night. Instead, she sat upright with a quill in hand, starting a private record a hidden journal only she would know about.
The first page was simple: "There is someone watching Prince Damien. Possibly dangerous. Must uncover the truth discreetly."
She tucked the journal inside a false drawer in her vanity, one she had discovered during her first evening in the palace. She was no ordinary noble girl; her father had raised her to be cautious and clever in a court full of liars. And this palace, with its dazzling beauty, had too many locked doors and careful smiles.
By morning, she retraced her steps to the garden. She kept her movements casual, a basket of flowers on her arm, pretending to pick blooms for her room. Her eyes were scanning behind the trees, above the balconies. Nothing...But that didn't mean she wasn't still being watched.
Meanwhile, Alec burned.
The sight of Damien with Helena had ignited a fire in him that wouldn't be smothered. The way Damien held her hand. The way she smiled at him like he hung the moon. And the worst part? Damien had started leaving little tokens of affection in obvious places fresh roses outside Helena's room, silk wraps to match her gowns, and long walks in the palace courtyard in plain view of Alec's chambers.
Alec wanted to confront Damien, to ask him why. But pride stopped him. Instead, he sent his trusted servant, Theo, to follow them.
Theo returned that afternoon, eyes wide. "They were in the music room… alone. He was playing the harp, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. They laughed, my lord. She whispered something, and he smiled."
Alec's jaw clenched. "You're sure?"
Theo nodded. "I stood by the curtains. He even kissed the back of her hand."
Alec dismissed him coldly and stared at the wall, fists trembling. The thought of Damien with another especially a woman shouldn't matter. They were pretending. He knew that. Still, a bitter storm churned inside him.
Unaware of Alec's descent into jealousy, Damien and Helena were enjoying the show. Behind closed doors, they laughed at Alec's reactions.
"He nearly snapped the goblet in his hand when I leaned into you during dinner," Helena said, chuckling.
Damien grinned. "It's the most fun I've had in weeks. Who knew fake courtship could be so satisfying?"
Helena's eyes sparkled. "We should take it up a notch. Tomorrow, I'll wear that red velvet gown and ask you to braid my hair in front of the servants."
"Perfect," Damien agreed, though a small flicker of guilt stirred in him. He didn't like to hurt Alec, but part of him needed Alec to feel something to realize what they had wasn't some passing desire.
Later that evening, Prince Caspian found Damien in the royal library. Caspian leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, watching Damien scribble into a scroll.
"You're causing quite a stir, little brother," Caspian said with a smirk.
Damien looked up. "What now?"
"Your little performance with Lady Helena. You do realize half the council is already planning your engagement celebration?"
Damien chuckled. "Let them plan. It's all smoke and mirrors."
Caspian approached, pulling a chair beside him. "So, it's a ruse? I suspected as much. You two have the same sly grin. But I'm curious what's the endgame?"
Damien sighed. "To buy time. To distract eyes. And… maybe to prove a point."
Caspian arched an eyebrow. "To Alec or father or the council..."
Damien didn't answer, but Caspian's grin widened.
"You two really are something," he said. "I won't interfere. But Damien…" His tone shifted, serious. "Be careful. Alec is not as composed as he pretends to be."
Damien nodded slowly. "I know."
That night, Helena returned to her chambers feeling a mix of satisfaction and exhaustion. But as she entered her room, something caught her eye.
A piece of parchment lay just beneath the door. No seal. No signature. Just a single line, written in sharp, elegant handwriting:
"He is not the only one being watched."
Helena froze.
She looked up and down the corridor. Empty.
She picked up the note, heart racing. Who had left it? Someone who had seen her investigation? Someone helping heror threatening her?
She turned and quickly locked her door, placing the note beneath her pillow.
Later, she sat at her window, eyes scanning the darkened courtyard below.
The palace was no longer a place of safety or comfort. It was a chessboard. And someone maybe several someones were moving pieces she couldn't see.
But one thing was clear: she and Damien were in deeper than they realized.
And the game was only beginning.