Erick
For the first time in a very long while, I felt… calm.
No crown weighed on my head. No council breathing down my neck. No war. No judgment. No endless reports or ceremonies that meant nothing. Just me, an apron, a tray of coffee cups, and the sound of laughter and chatter filling the little restaurant.
When Sophia had stormed outside and demanded to know what I was doing, part of me had expected to feel humiliated. Maybe even embarrassed. But I didn’t. Instead, I felt something else—something light and peaceful that I hadn’t known I was capable of feeling anymore.
I smiled to myself as I balanced another tray and walked toward a table of elderly women, their gray hair glowing under the soft light. “Here you go, ladies,” I said, carefully setting down their tea and pastries.
One
