The guards left me inside my room with a dull thud of the door, their shadows stretching beneath the crack like prison bars. I stood frozen in the middle of the chamber, my pulse still racing from dinner—not from the rich wine or elaborate courses, but from him. Looked at my ring and I know I have to find a way out of this
The image of the maid slipping through the wall. That hidden passage. That narrow slice of salvation carved into stone and secrets. It was my chance—my only chance. But what good was knowing when I couldn't even set foot beyond this room without two men breathing down my neck, their loyalty bought and paid for.
I paced thinking of a way to roam freely. The idea came sharp and sudden, cutting through desperation like a blade: *a collapse. A frailty he couldn't ignore.*
