Alan POV
I sat at the breakfast table, the warm, faint scent of eggs and bacon in the air, swirling with the comfort of the morning light as it filtered through the open windows. I was trying to focus on the conversation with Toria, but a strange noise—an indistinct commotion from outside—caught my attention. It wasn’t the usual chatter or clatter of the palace; this was different. It was almost… excited. Nervous, even.
Toria’s eyes flickered toward the window before she rolled her eyes and huffed impatiently. Without a word, she waved her hand dismissively, then turned toward the door. “You!” she barked, her voice cutting through the air like a whip.
The maid, a young woman who had been moving around the kitchen with quiet grace only moments before, jumped slightly at the command. “Ye
