THE ENEMY'S BRIDE

SABOTAGE IN THE SKIES

Heliana stood by the jet window, her arms loosely folded.

The clouds stretched endlessly outside, calm and untouched.

For a moment, everything felt quiet.

Too quiet.

She exhaled slowly.

Was this the right decision?

She wasn't sure.

But she remembered something she once heard-

"The mystery of the world is endless. Discover it."

Her lips curved faintly. Whether it was right or wrong didn't matter anymore.

She had already made her choice.

Not just for Valerith.

Not just for the alliance.

For herself.

And once Heliana decided something-

She didn't turn back.

"My Lady... are you okay?" Elowen asked softly.

Heliana turned and gave her a small smile.

"I'm fine."

Elowen Crestfall stood beside her, worry written clearly on her face. She wasn't just a maid. Not just an attendant.

She was Heliana's closest person.

Friend and confidant.

Someone who knew her well enough to tell when something was off.

Elowen tilted her head slightly, then suddenly brightened.

"I have something to distract you," she said.

Heliana raised a brow.

"Oh?"

"Have you heard of VVMAR?"

That got her attention immediately.

"VVMAR?" Heliana repeated. "What's that?"

Elowen leaned in slightly, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret.

"Valerith and Viremont Mischievous Affiliated Rumors."

Heliana blinked.

Then stared at her.

"...You're joking."

Elowen shook her head, smiling.

"It's a hidden network. A shared underground web used by people from both kingdoms."

Heliana froze for a second. Then let out a quiet laugh.

"You mean to tell me... there was already a way to get information from Viremont?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"And I destroyed my laptop for nothing?"

"What a joke..." she muttered.

But she waved it off.

"Go on. Tell me more."

Elowen lit up immediately.

"You know how the normal internet is full of filtered information?" she began. "Clean, controlled, sometimes fake?"

Heliana nodded.

"Well, this one is different. It's deeper. Anonymous. People post things they normally can't reveal publicly."

She grinned slightly.

"And they always attach proof."

Heliana's expression shifted.

Now she was listening.

"So if you want the truth about anything..." Elowen continued, "that's where you go."

Heliana leaned back slightly, thinking.

Interesting. Very interesting.

If she was going to survive in Viremont...

Information like that could be useful.

Very useful.

Elowen kept talking, excited.

"Do you know the most beautiful lands are said to be in-"

She stopped.

A loud noise echoed from the back of the jet. Then shouting.

Heliana's gaze snapped up.

Adrian came rushing toward them, his usually calm expression gone.

"My Lady," he said quickly, "don't move."

Heliana didn't even blink.

"There's an explosive device beneath your seat," he continued. "If you stand up, it will trigger."

For a split second-

Silence.

Then Elowen reacted.

"What?!" she shouted, immediately panicking.

She stepped forward, then froze mid-step.

"Princess-don't move!"

Her voice trembled.

Then she turned to Adrian, anger replacing fear.

"You had one job!" she snapped. "You were supposed to protect her!"

Adrian clenched his jaw.

"I'll fix it," he said. "I swear I will."

And then-

Heliana laughed. Not a small laugh. Not nervous. A full, amused laugh.

Both of them turned to her like she had lost her mind.

She raised her hands playfully, framing them like a camera.

"You two look good together," she said lightly.

They both stared at her.

Then quickly looked away, their faces slightly red.

"This is not the time," Adrian muttered, dropping to one knee.

Heliana's expression shifted instantly.

Calm and focused.

"There's a camera," she said suddenly.

Adrian paused.

Heliana glanced upward.

"It's being broadcast," she continued.

"Most likely live. Both kingdoms are watching."

A beat.

"If they notice something is wrong... this alliance is over."

Adrian understood immediately.

"And war begins," he finished.

Heliana nodded.

"So we don't panic," she said. "We act normal."

She deliberately knocked a glass off the table. It shattered.

Elowen flinched, about to react, but Heliana shot her a look.

Don't.

Adrian bent down instantly, pretending to clean it.

But his hands moved under the seat.

Searching, careful and precise.

Heliana spoke casually, as if nothing was happening.

"Whoever did this planned it well," she said. "If this goes wrong, both sides blame each other."

Adrian nodded slightly.

"Smart," he muttered.

"Very," Heliana replied.

"Elowen," she said calmly, "my bag."

Elowen handed it over immediately.

Heliana pulled out her laptop.

"Take pictures. Everything here," she said.

Elowen didn't question it.

Within seconds-

"Done."

Heliana got to work.

The camera feed was live. But not impossible to interfere with.

Instead of shutting it down-

She replaced it.

Using the captured images, she looped a normal-looking feed over the real-time broadcast.

Same angle.

Same lighting.

Same movement.

To anyone watching-

Everything looked fine.

But inside the jet-

It was chaos.

"Now we have time," she said.

Adrian exhaled.

Then focused.

"Send me the bomb," Heliana said.

He snapped a quick image and sent it.

Heliana studied it. Her eyes sharpened.

"It's a pressure-trigger device," she said. "Weight-based."

Adrian nodded.

"And tampered with," she added. "There's a secondary trigger-movement and heat."

Adrian cursed under his breath.

"Cut the wrong wire..." she continued calmly, "and it detonates instantly."

Elowen held her breath.

Heliana leaned closer to the screen.

"See the red casing? That's fake. Ignore it."

Adrian froze.

"The real core is underneath," she continued. "There's a thin blue wire connected to the stabilizer."

"Cut that first."

His hand moved slowly.

Snip.

Nothing happened.

"Good," she said. "Now disconnect the battery-bottom left."

Another careful movement.

Silence.

Then-

The device powered down. A breath escaped the room.

"It's done," Adrian said quietly.

Relief spread instantly. Too fast.

The jet shook violently.

People stumbled.

Screams filled the cabin.

Then-

The speaker crackled.

"Good evening, passengers," a voice said calmly. "This is your captain."

A pause.

"The aircraft has been compromised."

Another pause.

"We are going down."

Chaos erupted.

Elowen fell to her knees, shaking.

Adrian ran his hand through his hair, frustrated.

"We have five parachutes," he said.

"Ten people," Heliana replied.

Silence.

Some people began to step forward.

Ready to stay behind.

Heliana watched them.

Then spoke.

"I have five more."

Everyone turned.

Her lips curved slightly.

"Let's not die today."

Orders were given quickly.

The intruders were tied up and given one parachute.

"If they survive, they survive," Heliana said coldly.

One by one-

They jumped.

The wind roared.

Elowen screamed.

Adrian held tight.

And Heliana-

Heliana laughed.

Loud, free and alive.

"This-" she shouted into the wind-

"-is the thrill I wanted!"