The fire in the commander's private quarters was a roaring beast, consuming logs of ironwood and casting long, dancing shadows against the stone walls.
But the heat it generated was nothing compared to the cold dread settling in Captain Kaelen's stomach.
He sat in silence, the air thick with the weight of a revelation that felt like a physical blow.
The woman from the dreams
.The phantom Vaelith had spoken of in hushed, feverish tones for years.
The faceless figure he had searched for in crowded markets, noble courts, and foreign lands, driven by a compulsion he couldn't explain.
She wasn't a noblewoman.
She wasn't a lost princess.
She was a slave
.A palace slave.Kaelen shook his head, the movement stiff.
"After all these years..."Vaelith didn't look up.
He remained staring in
