Reborn as the Last van Ambrose

Grim had barely finished his morning routine when the sound of approaching horses reached his ears. The sound of multiple people approaching his manor. Their pace suggested it was some matter of urgency.

He moved to the window overlooking his estate's front courtyard and recognized the royal colors immediately. Princess Liona's personal guard, their armor gleaming in the morning sunlight as they formed protective positions around a single figure dismounting near his main entrance.

[The princess has come calling,] Caius observed with amusement. [And she doesn't look pleased about something. This should be entertaining.]

Liona stepped down from her white carriage with fluid grace, her morning attire emphasizing the lean strength of her frame while maintaining royal elegance.

Deep blue velvet dress showcasing her skin and jewelry.

But her expression carried storms that would have made seasoned soldiers nervous.

"My lord," Seraphina appeared in his doorway with obvious concern. "Princess Liona requests immediate audience. She seems agitated."

"Send her up. And ensure we're not disturbed."

"Of course, my lord."

The sound of boots on marble stairs echoed through the manor as Liona climbed toward his private study. Each step rang with authority and barely contained anger.

[This is about the Luminaris girl,] Caius said with certainty. [She knows you bedded Mira, and she's here to make her displeasure known. Careful, boy. Hell hath no fury like a princess scorned.]

The door to his study opened without ceremony. Liona entered like a storm given human form, her blue eyes blazing with emotions she was struggling to contain behind royal composure.

"Lord Ambrose," she said, her voice carrying the kind of control that suggested screaming lurked just beneath the surface.

"Your Highness. To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?"

"You know exactly why I'm here." She moved deeper into the room, her gaze staring into Grim's soul.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific."

"Mira Luminaris left your estate yesterday morning." The words carried the precision of someone who had been watching his property. "She stayed the night. In your chambers."

[She had you under surveillance,] Caius observed with impressed surprise. [This princess is more thorough than we anticipated.]

"Lady Mira and I had matters to discuss. The conversation extended longer than expected."

"Conversation." Liona's laugh held no humor. "Is that what you call it when a woman leaves your chambers at dawn wearing the same dress she arrived in?"

"I call it none of your business, Your Highness."

The blunt response made her take a step backward, though whether from surprise or anger was unclear. Royal protocol demanded more deference than Grim was providing, but his recent service to the empire bought him certain liberties.

"None of my business," she repeated slowly. "After everything we've shared? After I've opened my heart to you?"

"You've opened nothing to me, Princess. We've exchanged pleasantries at court functions and shared a few dances. Nothing more."

"Nothing more?" Her composure finally cracked, revealing the hurt and jealousy beneath. "I've been trying to show you my feelings for months! The private conversations, the way I look at you. Did you think that meant nothing?"

[Ah,] Caius said with understanding. [She's been courting you in her own royal way, and you've been too focused on elves to notice. Poor girl. She's probably been planning your courtship.]

Grim studied Liona's face, seeing the truth in her flushed cheeks and the way her hands trembled with suppressed emotion. She had indeed been showing interest, but he'd interpreted her attention as political courtesy rather than personal attraction.

"Your Highness," he said more gently, "I've been... distracted... by military matters."

"Too distracted to notice that I've been trying to win your affection? But not too distracted to bed that scheming whore the moment she crooked her finger?"

The crude language was shocking coming from imperial lips, but it revealed the depth of her feelings more clearly than any formal declaration.

"Lady Mira is politically useful," Grim said carefully. "Nothing more."

"Useful." Liona's eyes flashed with renewed anger. "You used her for information and then took her to your bed as payment?"

"I used her, yes. But not in the way you think."

"Then explain it to me. Explain how spending the night with House Luminaris's daughter serves any purpose except satisfying your base desires."

[Tell her the truth,] Caius suggested. [Or at least part of it. She's clearly intelligent enough to understand strategy, and keeping her as an ally would be wise.]

"Mira Luminaris came here to seduce state secrets from me," Grim said, moving to close the door for more pricacy. "Her father sent her to recruit me for a conspiracy against your mother's throne."

Liona's anger shifted to sharp attention.

"Julius Luminaris is planning a coup. He has military support, financial backing, and a detailed timeline for execution."

"And you learned this by sleeping with his daughter?"

"I learned it by letting her think she was seducing me while I extracted every detail of their plans." Grim met her eyes directly. "Sometimes the most effective interrogation techniques don't involve blades."

The explanation seemed to mollify some of her anger, though jealousy still burned in her blue eyes.

"So your night with her was... professional?"

"Entirely professional. Though she doesn't know that."

[Careful, boy,] Caius warned. [You're walking a dangerous line here. The princess wants reassurance, but too much detail about your methods might disturb her further.]

"What will happen to her?" Liona asked.

"That depends on how deeply she's involved in her father's plans." Grim moved to his desk and began organizing the notes he'd compiled from Mira's confessions. "If she's merely a tool, she might face exile. If she's a willing conspirator, the penalty is death."

"And which do you think she is?"

"Both. She believes in her father's cause, but she was also manipulated into serving purposes she doesn't fully understand."

Liona absorbed this information with the calculating expression of someone raised in imperial politics. Her anger was cooling into something more dangerous. Royal determination to protect her family's throne.

Princess Liona moved closer to his desk. Her proximity filled his awareness with the subtle scent of lavender and something uniquely her.

"I want to help," she said suddenly.

"Your Highness, this kind of work is dangerous..."

"I don't care about danger." Her eyes met his with fierce determination. "This is my family's throne they're threatening. My mother's life they're planning to destroy. I want to be part of stopping them."

[She's magnificent when she's angry,] Caius observed with approval. [Fire beneath ice, steel beneath silk. You could do worse than allying with this one, boy.]

"What did you have in mind?"

"I have access to court functions where these conspirators will be present. I can observe their behavior, listen for suspicious conversations, report anything unusual." Her voice carried growing excitement as she outlined her plan. "They'll never suspect the princess of spying on them."

"It would be dangerous if they discovered your involvement."

"Everything worthwhile involves danger." She reached across the desk to touch his hand, her fingers warm against his skin. "Besides, someone needs to ensure you don't get distracted by any more beautiful spies."

The last words carried enough edge to remind him that her jealousy hadn't completely disappeared despite her professional interest in the conspiracy.

"Your Highness..."

"Liona," she corrected. "If we're going to work together to save the empire, I think we can dispense with excessive formality."

[She's claiming territory,] Caius noted with amusement. [First-name basis, physical contact, shared conspiracy. This princess knows exactly what she's doing.]

"Liona," Grim agreed. "Your assistance would be... valuable."

"Then we understand each other." Her smile was radiant with triumph, though entirely different from Mira's earlier satisfaction.