RAPHAEL'S POV
The palace holds its oppressive weight today, with uncertainties seeping through its walls. I followed familiar corridors, heart pounding as I approached my mother’s quarters. Lady Seraphina’s health had remained poor for quite some time, and the gnawing worry in me was becoming unbearable. I wanted to see her, to reassure myself that she was indeed all right.
As I arrived at her door, I stood for a moment, inhaling deeply to compose myself. The tension in the air could be felt, and shadows began creeping in with doubt. My mind flitted back to Harper, her unyielding support, and her immense loyalty through thick and thin. But another face loomed ominously within my thoughts—Tatiana.
"Come in," my mother's voice rang from the room, pulling me back into reality.
I shoved
