QUEEN HELENA’S POV
The palace was too loud.
Not with noise…with movement.
Rushing footsteps. Whispered orders. Cooks clattering trays in the kitchens.
The air itself buzzing with metallic tension. A wedding day that tasted like iron and nerves.
I sat before my mirror, dragging a silver brush through my hair, but even the smooth bristles felt heavy today.
I was sad…
No.
Sad wasn’t even the word.
I was furious.
Bitter.
Hollow.
How could Merrin take a fourth wife while I was still here?
My jaw locked, the brush gliding down another strand. The thought of that girl… Violet, with her shy eyes and trembling lips walking into my palace made my stomach twist.
I hated her.
I had fought too hard, given too much, to let some fragile little thing stand where I should be standing.
My th
