Daniel’s POV
The morning sun filtered through the tall palace windows, casting long shadows across the garden paths. I had gone to fetch fresh herbs from the east garden without anyone noticing me, not even the guards. Because I wanted this task to be just simple, quiet, and uneventful. Not after the chaos of the festival and the recent contest, as well as the assasination attempt on my life. I thought maybe—just maybe—I could catch my breath.
But the palace rarely offered peace, and today, danger found me before I could even finish my errand.
I bent over a patch of basil, brushing the soil off my hands and placing the sprigs carefully into my basket, when I sensed movement in the corner of my eye. A rustle behind the hedges—quick, sharp, deliberate movement.
Before I could think, two
