Grace - POV
The doorbell rang, breaking the simmering tension in the room. The sharp pain in my neck began to subside, leaving me with a dull ache. I looked over at Jacob and Grayson, who also seemed to be calming down, but I could tell they were trying to piece together why the air had become so charged. They both directed their gazes at me.
“What’s wrong? You look pale. Are you okay?” Jacob asked, his concern clear. Grayson stepped even closer, inspecting me carefully, his eyes scanning me from head to toe as if he could sense something was off.
I forced a small smile. “I’m fine. Really, don’t worry about me.” The knocks at the door were becoming more frequent, almost impatient. Jacob went to answer it, and the castle steward stood waiting on the other side.
“The council members will
