The tension in Celestina’s office was palpable as Anton laid out the new security measures. Maps of the palace, schedules for guards, and lists of vetted staff were spread across the table. Celestina paced back and forth, her arms crossed over her growing stomach.
“We’ve stationed guards at every possible entry point,” Anton explained. “Her quarters are now the most secure part of the palace. No one gets close without clearance.”
Celestina stopped and looked at him sharply. “I want her protected at all costs, Anton. If anything happens to her…” Her voice faltered briefly, but she quickly steadied herself. “I won’t tolerate any mistakes.”
Anton nodded. “Understood, Madam President. But you need to know—this level of security will make her movements very limited. She might not like it.”
As if on cue, Isolde entered the room, her calm demeanor masking her frustration. “Celestina, this is ridiculous,” she said firmly. “I’m not a fragile doll. I don’t need guards shadowing my every step. I’ve been through worse.”
Celestina turned to her mother, her expression softening but her tone unwavering. “You don’t understand, Mother. These threats are serious. They tried to kill you before; they won’t stop now.”
“I don’t want to live like a prisoner,” Isolde argued. “This is my life too, Celestina. I can’t just hide away in fear.”
Celestina sighed, rubbing her temples. “You’re not a prisoner. You’re my mother, and I’m trying to keep you alive. Please, trust me on this.”
Isolde frowned but eventually nodded. “Fine, but this isn’t how I want to live. I won’t be silenced.”
The following day, Isolde proved her point. Against Celestina’s explicit orders, she made a surprise public appearance at a press conference. Dressed elegantly but simply, she stood before the cameras, her voice steady and full of emotion as she addressed the nation.
“I have been gone for many years,” Isolde began, her eyes scanning the crowd. “But I am here now to stand by my daughter and to tell you the truth. Alvada tore our family apart. He was a brilliant leader to some, but he was also a man who let his ambition destroy those closest to him.”
She paused, her voice growing stronger. “But this nation is more than one man’s legacy. It is your legacy, your future. And we must come together to rebuild it—together, as one.”
Her words brought tears to some, while others remained stoic, their loyalty to Alvada unshaken. Loyalist media immediately called the speech “manipulative theatrics.”
When Celestina saw the footage, she clenched her fists, pacing furiously in her office. “What was she thinking?” she fumed.
Anton tried to calm her. “Madam President, her words have resonated with many. Public opinion is shifting in your favor.”
Celestina shook her head. “And what about the loyalists? They’ll see this as a direct attack.”
She was interrupted by a frantic knock at the door. A guard burst in. “Madam President, we have a situation.”
Isolde’s car was on its way back to the palace when it was ambushed. A group of armed loyalists blocked the road, their faces covered, and demanded that Isolde come with them.
“Get her out!” one of the attackers yelled, banging on the windows.
The guards acted quickly, drawing their weapons and engaging in a tense standoff. Shots rang out, shattering the tense silence, but the attackers were no match for the well-trained palace security team.
Inside the car, Isolde sat rigid, clutching the locket she always wore around her neck. She had insisted on staying calm, but her hands trembled slightly as she whispered to herself, “Not again. Never again.”
The guards managed to secure the area and escort Isolde back to the palace safely, but the attempt left everyone rattled.
When Isolde arrived back, Celestina was waiting for her.
“Are you okay?” Celestina asked, her voice tight with both concern and anger.
“I’m fine,” Isolde assured her, though her face was pale.
“No, you’re not fine!” Celestina snapped. “They could’ve taken you, Mother! They could’ve killed you!”
Isolde reached out and placed a hand on her daughter’s arm. “Celestina, please. I had no idea this would happen. I only wanted to speak to the people. They need hope.”
Celestina pulled away, her eyes blazing. “No one will touch you, Mother. No one will threaten my family again.”
The palace tightened its defenses even further after the attack. Celestina called an emergency meeting, vowing to dismantle the loyalist network entirely.
“We’re rooting them out,” she told her advisors. “Every single one of them. I don’t care how long it takes.”
That evening, as the palace tried to regain a sense of calm, Dimitri arrived with urgent news.
“I intercepted this,” he said, handing Celestina a sealed letter. “It was addressed to your mother.”
Celestina opened it carefully, her hands trembling slightly. The letter was brief, written in a sharp, scrawled hand:
“You’ve survived this long, Isolde, but don’t forget who you are. Alvada’s legacy isn’t finished, and neither are we.”