The dining hall was louder than usual. Packed shoulder to shoulder, it pulsed with gossip dressed up as laughter, speculation hidden beneath polite smiles. Lanterns burned warm overhead, but the energy in the room was anything but comforting. It felt… watchful.
Aria walked in quietly, holding her tray close to her chest. Tea. Bread. A few slices of apple, she wasn’t sure she’d eat. She kept her head down, weaving past tables until she reached her usual seat, back corner, right near the tapestry with the faded crescent moon. Her safe spot.
No one looked her way.
Good.
She sat down slowly, tucked herself in, and exhaled through her nose. Her hands were calm, but her stomach churned. Not from the pregnancy—at least, not this time. She already knew what tonight was about.
Sienna was back.
