The Prince's Arranged Marriage-Chapter 87: Accidents PT. 1

It started with the kind of quiet that didn’t belong in a palace.

After the dinner, after the smiles and the toasts and the polished words that tasted like poison, Lucien had expected his mind to stay sharp all night expected to lie awake replaying every glance, every pause, every "regency" said as if it were a harmless suggestion.

But Alexander held him.

Not tightly, not like a cage just firm enough to remind Lucien he was real, safe, and not alone.

Lucien drifted into sleep with his face tucked into Alexander’s neck, the warmth of his skin under Lucien’s lips and the steady rise and fall of his breathing easing the last of the anger out of Lucien’s chest.

And then morning came, dragging the palace back to life.

Lucien woke to pale light spilling over the bed and the faint sounds of the corridor beyond their door soft footfalls, hushed voices, the steady rhythm of servants moving through routine.

He lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, trying to decide if the heaviness in his chest was leftover from the dinner or something else.

Alexander was already awake.

Lucien could tell, even with his eyes closed. Alexander had that stillness when he was alert breathing controlled, body quiet, mind already ten steps ahead.

Lucien shifted, turning onto his side and pressing a kiss to Alexander’s shoulder.

Alexander’s arm tightened around him immediately, pulling him closer. "Morning."

Lucien smiled faintly. "You’re awake."

"I felt you move."

"You always do," Lucien murmured, kissing him again slow and warm, a small act of rebellion against everything the court tried to control.

Alexander turned his head and met Lucien’s mouth, returning the kiss with quiet intent. Not rushed. Not hungry like last night. Just steady.

Lucien exhaled when they pulled apart. "I hate them."

Alexander’s lips curved faintly. "I know."

Lucien traced a finger along the line of Alexander’s jaw. "They looked right at me when they said it."

"They wanted you to feel watched."

Lucien let out a soft, humorless laugh. "Congratulations to them. It worked."

Alexander kissed Lucien’s forehead, then his temple. "Eat something."

Lucien made a face. "That’s your solution to everything."

"It keeps you alive," Alexander replied smoothly, sliding out of bed.

Lucien watched him move across the room, pulling on a shirt with unhurried precision. Even half-dressed, Alexander looked like someone the court should’ve feared.

Maybe they did.

Maybe that was why they were aiming at Lucien instead.

A knock sounded at the door.

Alexander’s gaze sharpened instantly. "Come."

The door opened, and a palace aide stepped inside, face pale beneath careful composure. He bowed quickly.

"Your Highnesses," he said, voice low, "forgive the interruption. There’s been an incident."

Lucien sat up, the last traces of sleep vanishing. "What kind of incident?"

The aide swallowed. "An official from the inspection team, Master Rellan. He was found dead this morning."

The words hit like cold water.

Lucien’s mouth went dry. "Rellan?"

He remembered him immediately. A quiet man with ink-stained fingers and nervous habits. The one who had walked beside Lucien during the granary visit, whispering details about missing receipts as if the walls might hear him.

Lucien had told him, gently, to be careful.

Alexander stepped forward, his tone calm but edged. "Where was he found?"

"In his office," the aide replied. "The report says he fell. Hit his head. The healers..." He hesitated. "They declared it an accident."

Lucien stared at him. "An accident."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Lucien felt a sharp twist of nausea. His mind jumped back through the last week like pages flipping too fast.

Rellan’s tight smile.

The way he’d lowered his voice.

The way he’d looked over his shoulder before speaking to Lucien at all.

Lucien had noticed his fear and thought, He’s nervous. That’s all.

Now,

Lucien swung his legs over the bed, moving quickly. "I want to see him."

The aide’s eyes flickered uncertainty, hesitationbefore he looked to Alexander instead of Lucien.

That small gesture made Lucien’s stomach drop even further.

Alexander’s expression didn’t change, but Lucien felt the shift in the room. Cold calculation sliding into place.

"We’ll go," Alexander said. "Now."

---------

The walk through the palace felt longer than usual.

Servants stepped aside quickly. Guards bowed. Everyone moved as if trying not to be seen. It was like the whole palace had learned, overnight, how to hold its breath.

Lucien’s hand stayed in Alexander’s, fingers tightly interlaced. Not for appearances. For balance.

As they approached the administrative wing, Lucien spotted Minister Aldren standing near a doorway, speaking in a low voice to a cluster of officials. When Aldren saw them, his face smoothed instantly into polite concern.

"Your Highnesses," he said, bowing. "A terrible situation."

Lucien didn’t return the smile. "Master Rellan worked with the inspection reports."

Aldren’s brows lifted slightly, like the connection surprised him. "Indeed. A diligent man, but... clumsy, perhaps."

Lucien’s jaw tightened. "People don’t usually die from clumsiness."

Aldren’s smile thinned. "The healers assure us it was a simple fall. Tragic, but not suspicious."

Lucien looked past Aldren into the corridor beyond. "I’d like to see him."

Aldren hesitated, just a fraction. "Your Highness"

Alexander stepped forward, voice quiet and final. "Move."

Aldren moved.

Lucien felt something in his chest tighten not fear exactly, but a hard awareness. Alexander didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. His authority filled the space like a shadow.

Inside the small office, the air smelled like ink and cold stone. Lucien saw the desk first, papers still spread out, a candle burned down to a stub. It looked like Rellan had been working late.

There was a smear of something dark on the edge of the desk.

Lucien’s breath caught.

Then he saw the body.

Rellan lay on the floor near the bookshelf, covered with a clean sheet. A healer stood nearby, face solemn, hands folded.

Lucien approached slowly, his feet feeling heavy. "Was anyone with him?"

The healer shook his head. "No, Your Highness. He was found by an assistant."

Lucien swallowed. "He fell?"

"Yes. The injury is consistent with a head impact."

Lucien stared at the floor near Rellan’s head. The stone was clean now, but Lucien could imagine it stained.

He could imagine Rellan reaching for something, slipping, falling

But his mind refused to accept how neat it sounded.

Lucien’s gaze drifted to the desk again. Papers were stacked, but one corner looked... disturbed, like a pile had been shifted quickly. A drawer sat half-open, as if someone had checked inside and forgotten to close it fully.

Lucien’s hands curled into fists.

He looked at Alexander, and Alexander’s eyes were already on those same details.

Lucien forced his voice to stay steady. "Did he leave a report? Any notes?"

Aldren, still hovering at the doorway, answered smoothly. "His documents have been collected for review, Your Highness. We’ll ensure everything is processed properly."

Lucien turned sharply. "Collected by who?"

Aldren’s smile remained. "By the administrative office, of course."

Of course.

Lucien felt anger rise, hot and sharp. "I want to see what he was working on."

Aldren’s eyes flickered. "The documents will be delivered to council channels."

Lucien’s laugh was soft and dangerous. "So they can be... filed."

Alexander’s hand slid to the small of Lucien’s back, grounding him. Not stopping him just holding him steady.

Lucien took a slow breath and looked down at the covered body again.

Rellan’s face was hidden, but Lucien could still picture him alive. Still hear his anxious voice.

Be careful, Your Highness. Some men don’t like questions.

Lucien swallowed hard. "He spoke to me last week," he said quietly. "He gave me information."

Aldren’s expression didn’t change. "Many officials speak to Your Highness."

Lucien’s throat tightened. "And now he’s dead."

Aldren bowed his head slightly. "A tragedy."

Lucien stared at him for a long moment, then turned away before his composure cracked.

Alexander guided Lucien out of the office without a word, his hand firm at Lucien’s waist, steering him down the corridor like he was quietly removing him from a battlefield.

Lucien didn’t resist.

Not until they were back in their chambers and the door closed behind them.

The silence snapped.

Lucien turned, breath uneven. "It’s my fault."

Alexander’s gaze sharpened. "No."

"Yes," Lucien insisted, voice trembling with anger and guilt. "He spoke to me. I made him feel seen. I made him think he could trust me."

Alexander crossed the room in three strides and caught Lucien’s face gently between his hands. "Lucien."

Lucien’s eyes burned. "He’s dead."

"I know," Alexander said, voice low.

Lucien’s chest rose and fell too fast. "If I hadn’t asked questions if I hadn’t pushed maybe"

Alexander kissed him.

Hard enough to cut through the spiral. Firm enough to stop the words in Lucien’s throat.

Lucien gasped into it, hands flying to Alexander’s shoulders, gripping as if he might fall otherwise. The kiss wasn’t sweet. It wasn’t gentle.

It was correction.

When Alexander pulled back, he didn’t let go. He kept Lucien close, foreheads nearly touching.

"This isn’t on you," Alexander said, every word measured. "Do you understand me?"

Lucien’s eyes were wet, but he didn’t look away. "I told him to be careful."

"And they killed him anyway," Alexander replied. "That means this was never about you asking too much. It was about them protecting something."

Lucien swallowed. "So it’s really happening."

Alexander’s thumb brushed along Lucien’s cheekbone, wiping away moisture like it bothered him to see it there. "Yes."

Lucien let out a shaky breath. "So what now?"

Alexander’s gaze darkened not with fear, but with something colder.

"Now we stop assuming the palace is safe," Alexander said quietly.

Lucien’s stomach tightened. "Alexander"

Alexander kissed Lucien’s knuckles, slow and deliberate, then lifted his eyes back to Lucien’s face. "This was a warning."

Lucien’s throat went dry. "A warning to me."

"A warning to us," Alexander corrected. "But aimed at you."

Lucien’s breath caught.

Alexander pulled him in again, not for a kiss this time just a hard, grounding embrace. Lucien clung back immediately, pressing his face against Alexander’s shoulder.

Alexander held him like he meant it. Like he wasn’t going to allow the world to pull Lucien out of his arms.

After a long moment, Alexander spoke again, voice calmer. "I’m going to tighten our information flow."

Lucien lifted his head slightly. "What does that mean?"

"It means you won’t get reports through council channels anymore," Alexander said. "Not until I know who is touching them first."

Lucien frowned, tension flaring again beneath the grief. "So you’ll read them before I do."

"Yes."

Lucien’s eyes narrowed. "Alexander"

Alexander kissed his forehead. "Not to control you."

Lucien didn’t look convinced.

Alexander held his gaze steadily. "To keep you alive."

Lucien’s chest rose with a slow inhale. The words shouldn’t have sounded so final.

But they did.

And for the first time since the dinner, Lucien felt something colder than anger slide into his bones.

Fear sharp, real, and personal.

Alexander kissed him once more, softer now. "Stay close to me today."

Lucien’s voice came out quiet. "I always do."

Alexander’s mouth curved faintly, but his eyes stayed hard. "Not close enough."

Lucien swallowed.

Somewhere in the palace, the machine of court life kept moving servants, ministers, schedules, smiles.

But Lucien knew now that beneath it, something else was moving too.

And it had teeth.