A voice I don’t recognize speaks next, their tone hurried and sharp. The voice of someone with a secret. “The Legion Guards will protect him from harm.”

“I don’t care about my brother—I care about him dragging all Four Courts down with him when Victory inevitably falls to ash,” Prince Ettore retorts. “It’s time to take action.”

“You still mean to go to the Chancellors?”

“I already have. Fond as they may be of Caelan’s desire for ideals, even they can see he lacks the willingness to do what is necessary for the good of the courts. He’s become complacent.”

“So they will stand by you?”

“They will—so long as I can prove my brother is unfit to rule. And if, for example, Victory’s Legion turned against him…” Ettore’s voice trails off.

The stranger clears his throat. “The Legion Guards are loyal to Victory. As long as Prince Caelan wears its crown, they will not betray him.”

“And what if he betrays Victory? What of your loyalty then?”

The stranger shuffles, and I hear the clink of metal somewhere within the room.

“Many of us wear crowns.” Prince Ettore’s footsteps grow louder, the sound inching closer to the balcony. I hold my breath. “Maybe that’s part of the problem.”

There’s a long pause. “What does the queen say?”

“Never mind the queen,” Prince Ettore snaps. “I require your allegiance, not your concern.”

“Apologies, Your Highness,” the voice replies, wounded. “I meant no offense.”

The shadow in the archway shifts. I shut my eyes, pressing further into the stone wall.

“When I prove to the Chancellors that my brother is unfit to rule, my mother will see the truth. He’s been surrounded by humans in this court for far too long. He’s forgotten how much they hate us and why they deserve to be crushed instead of paraded around like they’re part of society. Allowing humans to roam his city. His palace.” Ettore hisses at the thought. “It’s revolting.”

“Our ways are different in Victory.”

“Yes. I’ve seen the way you treat your prisoners,” Ettore replies silkily. “If that human had been in War, he’d have had his entrails removed just for interrupting the evening. And yet you whisked him away like he deserved civility.”

“He was unaware. Prince Caelan would deem such violence unnecessary.”

“Victory has made him soft.” Ettore waits a few beats before speaking again. “Are you certain the prisoner was unaware? Has he been questioned? Because I’ve heard the rumors even in my own court—about humans waking up.”

“They’re only rumors, Your Highness.”