By sunrise, Moonfall Palace had become a prison.
The massive iron gates were chained shut.
Every drawbridge had been raised.
Royal guards patrolled every corridor with drawn swords, while archers lined the palace walls, watching for even the slightest movement.
No one was allowed to leave.
No one was allowed to enter.
The laughter that had filled the palace only a day before had disappeared.
Now, every whisper carried fear.
Every glance carried suspicion.
Standing at the highest balcony, Kaelira watched servants being questioned in the courtyard below.
Some cried.
Some protested their innocence.
Some simply stared at the ground, too frightened to speak.
“This isn’t how I wanted to rule,” she whispered.
Behind her, Ronan stepped closer.
“Neither did the person who tried to ki
