The morning after the royal family's return, the palace felt tense.
Not because of the king.
Everyone was already used to fearing King Lodrick.
This was different.
The queen, the crown prince, and the princess were back.
That meant more nobles.
More guards.
More rules.
And for the slaves, more opportunities to be punished.
Elara spent the first half of the day hauling buckets of water between the kitchens and the servants' hall.
The work was exhausting.
The stone corridors seemed endless.
By midday, sweat clung to her skin despite the cold weather outside.
The castle of Valdren stood atop a mountain ridge, and strong winds often howled against its walls.
Today was no different.
Rain struck the narrow windows while dark clouds gathered above the kingdom.
As Elara carried ano
