Chapter 22
Elara’s POV
The palace walls had a way of making me feel both safe and trapped. High marble arches towered above me, frescoes of long-forgotten victories painted across their ceilings, while courtiers in silk drifted through the halls like shadows whispering secrets.
But lately, the shadows seemed sharper. The whispers louder.
It was after supper, and I had lingered in the gallery outside the council chamber. My new lessons in etiquette had drilled into me the importance of knowing where I should and should not be, but my instincts had been screaming louder than protocol. Something was wrong—terribly wrong.
The council had adjourned hours ago, yet I heard voices. Not the idle chatter of servants, but the clipped tones of men who believed themselves powerful.
I pressed my b
