Three days passed before Dorian returned with news of the mysterious courtier, and the wait had stretched Clara's nerves thinner than she cared to admit.
She had continued her routine as best she could, accompanied now by a discreet guard whenever she moved beyond the private wing, though the added protection did little to ease the persistent unease that had settled over her since first noticing the stranger's attention. Leo, sensing his mother's tension despite her efforts to hide it, had grown quieter than usual, sticking close to her side during their meals and refusing his usual independent explorations of the Citadel's gardens.
Dorian found her in the library on the third evening, his expression grave enough that Clara set aside her research immediately, bracing herself for whatever
