TRINITY
The next morning, I woke with a strange lightness in my chest. For the first time in weeks, I didn’t feel the weight of constant scrutiny or hostility pressing down on me. As I got dressed and stepped out of my room, I realized I was smiling—a real, genuine smile.
Maybe it was the absence of my cousins, whose malicious presence had tainted every corner of the palace. Or maybe it was the shift in Nasir’s demeanor. He was still sharp and guarded, but there was a softness now, a c***k in the armor he wore so tightly. Whatever the reason, I felt free in a way I hadn’t for a long time.
Humming softly, I made my way down the grand staircase, the sound of my steps echoing faintly in the spacious hall. My fingers trailed along the ornate banister as I descended, and a spring had somehow
