Chapter 37
Elara’s POV
The chamber was warm, filled with the scent of parchment and melted wax, yet when I broke the seal on the letter laid before me, a coldness seeped into my bones.
The wax bore Mireille’s crest—serpents coiled around a dagger. Already, I should have known better. But still, I read.
The words were crafted with exquisite precision, as if every stroke of ink was meant to crawl under my skin.
Princess Elyra,
The bloodshed need not continue. Lay down your claim and depart quietly. In return, Kael offers you safety. You have my word: no blade shall touch you if you renounce this folly. A truce awaits—if you are wise enough to grasp it.
—Mireille
I let out a short, bitter laugh. A truce? Safety? It was a noose hidden in silk.
I crushed the parchment in my fist, the e
