Elena remained with the captured soldier only briefly longer before returning to the throne room, her mind racing through implications that reshaped everything they had previously understood about her father's final months.
"He knew he was dying," she said slowly, finding Logan and Kira already waiting within the chamber, having followed her urgent departure. "Not simply vague suspicion of poisoning, Logan. Genuine, confirmed understanding that his time remained severely limited."
"Explain your thinking," Logan said, settling beside her carefully.
"Think about the timeline properly now," Elena said, pacing now with urgent focus. "He searched for you deliberately for nearly a year, knowing Garrick's poisoning continued weakening him. Then, somehow surviving that forest encounter despite
