Mira POV
I woke up late.
The sunlight filtering through the window was brighter than usual, meaning the morning had long passed.
I groaned, rubbing my temples as I sat up. My sleep had been deep, but not exactly restful.
My thoughts from last night still lingered—the conversation with Lucian, my decision to investigate the council, and my growing suspicions about the prisoners’ mysterious deaths.
The sound of soft footsteps pulled me from my thoughts.
“My Lady,” one of my handmaids greeted me with a bow. “We have prepared your bath.”
I nodded, pushing my thoughts aside for now.
Two of my handmaids assisted me into the large bathtub, the warm water soothing my tense muscles. As they washed my hair, I found my mind drifting again—to the dead prisoners, to Serena’s disappearance, to
