I strode through the halls, a simmering satisfaction building with each step. Moving my Queen Mother to the tower felt like reclaiming a piece of control in my own kingdom. For too long, her manipulations had hovered over me, undermining the power that should lie solely between my queen and me. The thought of Mitchell’s things now filling the room adjoining mine—her scent, her presence just a door away—added a thrill I hadn’t felt in years.
As I approached the door to her new quarters, a sound caught my attention. A small shuffle, perhaps, followed by the soft rustling of fabric. Curiosity won out over caution, and I eased the door open.
And there she was.
Mitchell was bent over by the bedside, her slender figure silhouetted in the dim light as she unpacked a trunk. My queen, my fated m
