Aaron tried to focus on one of the elder’s droning voice, but his mind kept wandering back to Raven.
He hadn't seen her since their encounter in her chambers that morning, and something felt off.
The council meeting was routine. Discussions about trade agreements, tax revenues, agricultural yields. Important matters, certainly, but nothing that required his immediate attention.
His advisors were more than capable of handling the details while his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
"Your Majesty?" An elder's voice cut through his distraction. "Your opinion on the tariff proposal?"
Aaron blinked, realizing he had no idea what proposal they were discussing. "I—"
The words died in his throat as pain suddenly laced through his chest. Not physical pain, exactly. It was something else, something
