Bella’s POV
The chains bite into my wrists, cold and rigid against my skin. Their weight drags at me, heavy and constant—a reminder of exactly how far I’ve fallen.
I sit in the small holding cubicle, my hands bound in front of me, my ankles locked together. The space feels suffocating, the silence pressing in on all sides. The only sound is the faint murmur of voices beyond the thick wooden doors of the council chamber.
They’re deciding my fate. But I already know the verdict. I should have seen it coming the moment Bran looked at me with something worse than hatred.
A man like Bran doesn’t hold grudges or dwell on betrayals. Rather, he removes whatever is a threat to his reign, especially when it affects his subjects. I should have known he wouldn’t forgive that kind of sin. But the f
