Gloria POV
My fingers tightened around the folded parchment as the attendant disappeared into the crowded hallway, his dark gray robes blending seamlessly with the passing servants.
I stepped closer to the stone wall, unfolding the heavy paper with steady hands while Martha took a position directly beside me, her eyes scanning the corridor for any unusual movements. The note contained no signature or formal seal, holding only a single line of unfamiliar, jagged handwriting that looked as though it had been scribbled in great haste.
The parchment held nothing but a warning in unfamiliar handwriting, telling me to watch what I drank inside these walls.
"What does it say?" Martha asked under her breath, her hand resting near the hidden hilt of her blade.
"Someone is warning me about my d
