Chapter 335: Caught?! [1] Inside the light elven kingdom’s grand palace, the throne room carried an atmosphere of subtle tension. Crystal chandeliers emitted ethereal light travelling across marble floors inlaid with silver, while the assembled courtiers maintained careful silence as they awaited their queen’s attention. The queen sat on her throne with no readable expression on her face. Her eyes remained fixed on a single point, as if she could see something nobody in the throne room could. An archmage approached the elevated throne with measured but hurried steps, his robes marked with the insignia denoting his high ranking within the magical corps. He owered his head formally before speaking, his voice carrying the appropriate deference for addressing the strongest elf, the queen. "Your Highness, I bring urgent news regarding a matter of internal security that requires your immediate attention." Queen Seraphina sat motionless upon her throne of living wood, her expression completely blank as she regarded the mage. Her recent consumption of the rose petal candy had amplified her natural beauty to almost supernatural levels, but it had also enhanced the cold authority that made even her most loyal servants approach with caution. "Speak," she commanded simply, her tone carrying absolute expectation of compliance. The archmage raised his head slightly while maintaining his respectful posture. "The previous captain of the royal guards, Adrian Silveroak has been successfully detained after his attempt to escape the kingdom alongside several of his followers. The operation concluded approximately an ago with minimal casualties among our forces." The announcement should have triggered visible reaction, but Seraphina’s expression remained utterly neutral, revealing nothing of her internal thoughts. She had harbored suspicions about her nephew for years now, watching the captain of her royal guards with growing wariness despite his impeccable service record and family connections. Adrian’s position had made direct investigation nearly impossible without concrete evidence. She also couldn’t outright kill him or remove him from his post based on suspicions. Not that she didn’t have the power to now, but she was also his aunt, and blood ran thicker than water. Furthermore, as the captain of the royal guards, he had loyalty from elite warriors throughout the kingdom and possessed access to sensitive information that could prove catastrophic if shared with enemies. Moving against him prematurely would have fractured the military command structure and potentially triggered civil conflict. That had remained true until one of Seraphina’s carefully planted spies managed to infiltrate the inner circle of Adrian’s confidants. The intelligence operative had spent years building trust, attending clandestine meetings, and trying to document evidence of treasonous coordination with external powers. Finally, during a secret gathering earlier today, the spy had provided sufficient proof to justify immediate action. Adrian had been caught in the act of discussing sensitive information. Although, Adrian was coordinating with dark elves, his betrayal made undeniable by spies being caught red-handed mid meeting. Seraphina knew very well from the spies that the hidden organisation that her nephew had created wasn’t to benefit the dark ekves necessarily but to co-exist with them and to build a kingdom that both can thrive in. But still, for her, this was treason. Her own nephew, had decided to overhang her rule and create a kingdom where the evil elves she hated could live happily. Absurd. Your actions have consequences that you knew very well, yet you still decided to betray me, foolish nephew. Seraphina thought with some sorrow and melancholy. She felt sad that she had to kill the son of her elder sister that had died whilst saving her from an attack by a group of dark elves. Sorry, Ilia. Your son had become corrupted, the only way to save him is to kill him...I hope you reunite with him, I will join you guys when it’s time.... "Your highness?" The archmage that had been speaking for sometime looked at the queen eith confusion, she wasn’t saying anything Seraphina woke up from his stupor. "He attempted to fight his way free?" Seraphina asked, her voice carrying mild curiosity rather than genuine surprise. "Yes, Your Highness. Adrian and most of his closest followers engaged our detainment team when they realized escape was impossible. The captain demonstrated considerable skill, as expected given his strength and experience. However, our forces had prepared specifically for his capabilities based on intelligence provided by your operative." The archmage paused before continuing with his report. "A few of his followers were killed during the confrontation when they refused surrender. Adrian himself sustained moderate injuries but remains alive and capable of interrogation. Most followers surrendered once Adrian fell and are currently being held separately." Seraphina processed this information with the cold calculation that had made her an effective ruler despite her relative youth compared to previous rulers. Adrian’s capture represented both a security victory and a political nightmare. His betrayal would create ripples throughout the kingdom’s power structure, raising questions about who else might have been compromised. More troubling was the uncertainty about what information he had already transmitted to the dark elves. Strategic positions, troop movements, supply chain vulnerabilities, the locations of critical defensive installations—all of it could have been give to their enemies over months or years of secret collaboration. The queen’s mind worked through the implications rapidly. If Adrian had revealed the true significance of the mysterious shopkeeper’s location and capabilities, both elven factions would be racing to either control or eliminate the interdimensional merchant. The delicate balance she had been maintaining could collapse into open warfare before the planned auction even occurred. She glanced at the archmage with eyes that carried no warmth despite her supernatural beauty. "Prepare him for my personal questioning. I want answers about the full extent of his betrayal, everyone he has been coordinating with, and everything he has revealed to our enemies." The archmage understood the queen’s words and the specific meaning behind her instruction about "preparation." His expression showed no discomfort at the implication, merely professional acknowledgment of orders received. "It shall be done, Your Highness. How thoroughly should we prepare him for your questioning?"