Gilded captive heart

A couple of days after the successful council meeting and amid the preparations for Nova's coronation, Kira's jealousy had been festering. Unable to contain her resentment any longer, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

In a dimly lit room hidden deep within the castle, Kira met with a shadowy figure—a merchant known for dealing in forbidden and contraband goods. She believed this contact could help her rid the brothers of Nova. She presented her proposal, detailing her plan to create discord among the brothers and undermine Nova's position as their chosen mate.

The merchant, shrewd and unscrupulous, saw an opportunity for profit and agreed to assist Kira. They provided her with a range of illicit items, from truth-altering potions to mind-influencing trinkets. With these tools at her disposal, Kira's scheme gained a new, ominous dimension.

After a couple of days passed since the council meeting, Kira discreetly administered truth-altering potions to members of the court who had the brothers' ear. Under the influence of the potions, they began to express doubts about Nova and the brothers' choices. Suspicion and mistrust took root, even as preparations for Nova's coronation were underway.

Unaware of Kira's manipulation, Nova sensed a growing unease among the brothers. They seemed more distant, and their interactions with her had become strained. Nova couldn't understand the cause of this change, and it weighed heavily on her.

Nova confided in each of the brothers, expressing her concern about the growing distance between them. They reassured her that everything was fine, but their words lacked the warmth and sincerity she had grown accustomed to.

As the day came to a close, Nova's isolation deepened, and Kira's sinister plot began to take root. The bond between Nova and the brothers, once unbreakable, faced its most formidable challenge yet, as forbidden secrets and external influences threatened to tear them apart in the midst of preparations for the upcoming coronation.