"She'd heard it all, his broken vow whispered into the shadows, his desperate promise to bring Georgia back. Her heart leaped at the mention of her favorite lady, but doubt clawed at her chest. Could words fix what betrayal shattered? Could a king truly undo the past? Swallowing her nerves, she stepped into the flickering torchlight, ready to face him."
"Do you think words will be enough? That she'll just forgive you because you finally grew a spine and remembered you have a family?"
The voice came from behind him. Sharp. Unexpectedly.
Jared turned, his body tense, his hand instinctively brushing the hilt of his dagger. But it wasn't an enemy.
It was Mara, one of the palace maidens. Young, barely past twenty, but known for her sharp tongue and loyalty to Georgia. Her brown ey
