Thalia’s POV:
It was *him*.
The man from last night.
My breath hitched, my pulse roaring in my ears like a trapped beast. The air thickened, pressing against my lungs as if the very room conspired to suffocate me. My nails bit into my clammy palms, the sting a feeble anchor against the storm inside me.
*Moon Goddess, please. Don’t let him say anything—*
“Thalia.”
Princess Elena’s voice snapped me back. Her gaze pinned me in place, sharp as a blade’s edge.
“Yes, my lady.” The words barely escaped, my voice a fragile thing. I dipped my head slightly, a practiced show of deference—anything to avoid the weight of their stares.
She exhaled, slow and deliberate, her fingers flexing against the gilded back of the throne before she rounded it and settled into the seat.
“I trus
