The door closed softly behind Keith. For several moments, silence settled across the chamber.
Mother remained seated beside my bed. We had excused Keith after his reports, which still need to be discussed with the king and the council, so for now, no full decision can be made since I am still lying down here.
I leaned back against the pillows, irritation simmering beneath my skin. My body still felt weak. The poison had damaged far more than the healers initially realized.
Trey remained unusually quiet. Mother folded her hands elegantly across her lap.
"You are the future king." She said, her voice permeating the silence and reiterating all I have learned about duties and responsibilities, a burden I had carried since childhood.
"I know."
"Do you?" She asked again, and I turned towar
