Chapter 13 – The Duke’s Bargain
“Every favor in this court bears a price. And some bargains, once struck, cannot be undone.”
The morning after the masquerade, the palace was quieter than usual, as though the velvet-draped halls themselves were still catching their breath. Eira stirred awake with the phantom of Alric’s touch still tingling at her wrist and the echo of Selis’s furious silence still coiled tight in her chest. She’d danced with a prince, but it hadn’t felt like a fairytale.
It had felt like treason.
She dressed slowly, the bruise of last night’s almost-kiss blooming in her mind, tender and dangerous. Mira entered just as she finished tugging on her gloves, eyes keen as ever.
“You’re summoned to the east wing,” Mira said, helping fix the ribbon at Eira’s neck. “A private a
