Unexpected joy at dawn

Chapter Two: The Crown Prince

Eliora barely slept that night. The royal summons remained on the small wooden table beside her bed, its official seal catching the faint light whenever she turned in her sleep. She had read the letter so many times that she could remember every word without opening it. The King of Avelune wanted to see her at the palace, and although the letter contained no explanation, Eliora could think of only one reason: the supply reports. She had spent the previous evening studying the figures, comparing what the government claimed had been delivered with what different regions claimed they had actually received. Something was wrong, and the more she looked at the numbers, the more certain she became that it was not a simple mistake. Someone had altered information deliberately. What she could not understand was why the King himself would be interested in the observations of an ordinary nineteen-year-old orphan.

By sunrise, Eliora had already dressed and prepared the little she needed. She owned very few things, so there was hardly anything to pack. She placed a change of clothes into a small bag, checked the royal summons one last time, and stepped outside just as the carriage arrived. A royal carriage waiting outside her home was enough to attract the attention of several neighbours, but Eliora ignored their curious looks. She had never enjoyed being the centre of attention, and she certainly did not want to become the subject of rumours before she even understood why she had been summoned. She climbed into the carriage and sat quietly as it began moving through the streets of the capital.

Through the window, Avelune looked almost perfect. The roads were busy with vehicles, shops were opening for the day, government workers hurried towards their offices, and people filled the streets on their way to work. Tall buildings stood alongside older structures, creating a city that was both modern and deeply connected to its history. Avelune was considered one of the most organised kingdoms in the region, and its government had spent years building a reputation for stability. Yet Eliora could not stop thinking about the shortages. Families in some regions were struggling to get basic supplies while official records insisted that everything had been delivered. There was a contradiction somewhere, and contradictions were what Eliora noticed best.

When the carriage finally arrived at the palace, Eliora lifted her eyes to the enormous structure before stepping out. The palace was imposing without looking ancient. Its wide glass windows reflected the morning light, polished stone covered the exterior, and security personnel stood at carefully positioned entrances. It was the heart of Avelune's government as much as it was the home of the royal family. Ministers, advisers, military officials, and palace staff moved through the entrance with a sense of purpose, and Eliora immediately understood that nothing happened here without someone noticing.

A guard escorted her through several corridors. Eliora tried to remain focused, but she could not help noticing the details around her. Portraits of former monarchs lined the walls, while digital displays showed information about upcoming government meetings and official events. She passed several people who glanced at her before quickly looking away. She wondered what they had been told about her. Perhaps they were wondering the same thing she was: why would the King summon an orphan from outside the royal circle?

Eventually, the guard stopped in front of a pair of large doors.

"The King is waiting for you," he said.

Eliora took a slow breath before the doors opened.

The room beyond was larger than she expected. The King sat at the head of a long table surrounded by several ministers, advisers, and government officials. Documents had been arranged across the table, and the serious expressions on their faces told Eliora that this was not a casual meeting. She took a few steps into the room, but before she could greet the King, she noticed someone standing near the large windows at the opposite end.

The young man turned towards her.

He was tall and dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit. His posture was straight, his expression controlled, and his eyes carried the unmistakable confidence of someone who had grown up knowing that people would listen when he spoke. There was no curiosity in his face at first, only a quiet assessment that made Eliora feel as though she were being examined rather than welcomed.

The guard bowed slightly. "Your Majesty, Miss Eliora Robert."

The young man's eyes remained on her.

"Eliora Robert?" he repeated.

His voice was calm, but there was something faintly dismissive about the way he said her name.

The King glanced towards him. "Yes. She is the one I told you about."

The young man looked Eliora over once more. "I expected someone older."

Eliora did not respond. She had learned a long time ago that defending herself against every careless opinion only gave people more power over her. Instead, she looked towards the King and waited.

"Please, sit," the King said.

Eliora walked towards the empty chair and sat down. Only then did the young man leave the window and take the seat opposite her. He did not introduce himself, but Eliora already suspected that he was not an ordinary member of the royal family.

"Eliora," the King began, folding his hands on the table, "do you know why you are here?"

"Because of the supply reports."

The answer came quickly enough to make one of the ministers look surprised.

The King studied her for a moment before nodding. "Then tell me what you found."

Eliora reached for the report closest to her. She had seen it before, but seeing it on the King's table confirmed that the issue was more serious than she had initially thought. She turned several pages before speaking.

"The shortages being reported across the kingdom do not match the transportation records."

One of the ministers immediately frowned. "We have already investigated the transportation delays. There were several disruptions, but nothing significant enough to explain the shortages."

"I know," Eliora said.

The minister looked irritated by her response. "Then what exactly are you suggesting?"

Eliora placed one of the reports flat on the table. "I'm suggesting that transportation isn't the problem."

The room became quiet.

She pointed to the figures. "The northern regions reported receiving fewer supplies than expected. However, the transportation records show that the shipments were delivered. The dates match. The routes match. Even the delivery confirmations are there."

She paused before continuing.

"But the amount received by those regions doesn't match the amount that was supposedly delivered."

The young man leaned forward slightly.

"You think the records are wrong?"

"I think someone wants them to look correct."

His eyes narrowed.

"That's a serious accusation."

"I know."

"And you are making it without evidence?"

"I have evidence."

Eliora pulled another report towards her and placed it beside the first. "Look at the regional figures from three weeks ago. Now compare them with the current report."

He looked down at the documents.

"The numbers are different," he said.

"Exactly."

One of the ministers reached across the table and examined the reports more carefully. "That could be an administrative error."

"It could," Eliora agreed. "If it happened once."

She turned another page.

"But it didn't."

She pointed towards another altered figure.

"It happened here too. And here."

He looked from one document to another, his expression slowly becoming more serious.

Eliora continued, "The same pattern appears in different regions. Supplies are recorded as delivered, but the numbers change between departments. Someone is adjusting the records after the shipments have already been logged."

The young man across from her stared at the papers for several seconds before finally looking back at her.

"And you believe someone is stealing the supplies?"

"Not exactly."

"Then what?"

"I believe someone is moving them."

His expression changed slightly. "What's the difference?"

"If someone were simply stealing the supplies, we would eventually find missing shipments. But the shipments aren't missing on paper. They were delivered. Someone is taking advantage of the system by making the records show that everything reached its intended destination."

Eliora leaned back slightly.

"Which means the person doing it doesn't need to hide the shipments. They only need to control the records."

The King exchanged a look with one of his ministers.

Then he turned towards the young man.

"Charles."

The young man looked at him.

"Yes, Father?"

"This is my son, Crown Prince Charles Finch."

Eliora finally understood.

Charles Finch. The Crown Prince of Avelune.

She had heard his name before, of course. Everyone had. Charles Finch was the future King, the eldest son of the monarch, and one of the most powerful young men in the kingdom. Yet the man sitting across from her looked nothing like the polished figure she had seen in newspapers. There was something colder about him in person, something that made it clear he was accustomed to authority.

Charles noticed the brief change in her expression.

"You didn't know who I was."

"I suspected," Eliora replied.

A faint look of amusement crossed his face, but it disappeared almost immediately.

"So you weren't impressed enough to ask."

"I was summoned by the King. I assumed I would eventually find out who everyone was."

One of the ministers lowered his eyes, seemingly trying to hide his reaction.

Charles simply stared at her.

Then he reached for another document and pushed it across the table.

"Then tell me what you see here."

Eliora picked up the report. She read it once, then again. At first glance, there was nothing unusual. The figures were neatly recorded, the signatures appeared legitimate, and the document carried the appropriate government seal.

But something caught her attention.

She reached for another report.

Then another.

Her eyes moved rapidly between the pages.

"This figure was changed."

Charles leaned forward. "Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"How can you tell?"

Eliora placed two documents beside each other. "This number appears in the original regional report. But someone changed it here."

The King stood from his chair.

"Who had access to this document?"

No one answered.And they had been doing it long enough to become confident that nobody would notice.

The King looked directly at her.

"Eliora Robert, from this moment, you will have access to the relevant supply and financial records. You will examine them and report your findings directly to me."

Several ministers immediately looked uncomfortable.

Eliora noticed.

So did Charles.

"You are giving her access to confidential government records?" one minister asked.

The King did not look away from Eliora.

"Yes."

Charles remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"Then she needs protection."

Eliora looked at him.

It was the first thing he had said that did not sound like a challenge.

Charles met her eyes.

"If someone inside the government is manipulating these records, they will eventually realise that someone is looking for them."

Eliora felt a strange uneasiness settle in her stomach.

He was right.

She had been so focused on discovering the truth that she had not considered what would happen once the person responsible realised she was searching for them.

The King nodded slowly.

"Then we proceed carefully."

Eliora gathered the reports and stood.

She had entered the palace believing she was simply going to answer questions about numbers she had noticed in a newspaper.

Instead, she had been given access to the kingdom's most sensitive records.

And as she turned towards the door, Eliora noticed Charles Finch watching her with an expression she could not quite understand.

He no longer looked at her like an ordinary orphan who had been summoned out of curiosity.

He looked at her like someone who had just become important.

Eliora stepped into the corridor, unaware that somewhere inside the palace, someone had already heard about her arrival.

And they were not pleased that the King had brought Eliora Robert into the palace.