Chapter 50: The Last Dream
Eira awoke in the early light, pressed against Alric’s side. His chest rose and fell in the rhythm of a man no longer at war with destiny. Outside the open balcony doors, Velandria’s towers caught the dawn like golden beacons. She watched the breeze stir his dark hair and felt, for the first time in weeks, no shadow trailing her heartbeat.
Her hand brushed his shoulder. He stirred but didn’t wake.
She rose quietly, padding barefoot to the edge of the room where her royal garb lay draped over a carved wooden screen. Instead, she reached for a simple shift and pulled it over her head. No gowns, no crowns. Just breath and bare skin and a moment stolen from duty.
In the mirror, she saw herself—Eira Vaughn, not Selis reborn. The lines of her face were her own now.
