The guards stormed into the room, their heavy boots echoing against the marble floor. Before Lyra could react, strong hands gripped her arms, dragging her away from the king’s bed. She struggled, panic surging through her veins.
“Wait!” Mara’s commanding voice rang out as she entered the room, her gray braid swinging behind her. “Let her go! She meant no harm.”
The guards hesitated but did not release their grip. One of them turned to Mara with a sneer. “This girl has committed an act of treason! The prince himself witnessed it.”
The prince stepped forward, his piercing blue eyes locked on Lyra. “She was doing something to my father,” he said coldly. “Who is she, and why is she here?”
“She’s my apprentice,” Mara replied sharply. “And what you saw wasn’t treason—it was healing m
