Daniel’s POV
The palace felt different. I noticed it the moment I entered the kitchen that morning.
Servants kept whispering more quietly than usual. Guards continued to look at me strangely.
Even the air felt heavier, as if the palace itself was holding its breath.
But the biggest change was Arthur.
For the past three days, he had not spoken to me.
Not even once.
The first day, I thought he was simply busy with war preparations and the endless meetings with the council. That was normal. As the crown prince, he carried the weight of the kingdom on his shoulders.
But the second day came.
Then the third.
And Arthur still had not said a single word to me. Not even a greeting.
I stood in the royal kitchen, stirring the soup slowly while my mind wandered.
The dish I was preparing w
