By noon, the entire palace was talking about only one thing.
The Blood Sovereign was going to marry.
Some servants were already discussing wedding preparations.
Others were placing bets on which prince would become King.
No one seemed interested in one small detail.
No one had asked Kaelira what she wanted.
As she crossed the palace gardens, whispers followed her.
“They would make a powerful couple.”
“The kingdoms would finally know peace.”
“Perhaps this is what the Moon Goddess intended.”
Kaelira kept walking.
Each word felt heavier than the last.
She wasn’t a queen to them.
She was a solution.
A bargaining chip.
Someone else’s answer to someone else’s problem.
She stopped beside the Moon Fountain, watching the water ripple beneath the morning sun.
“I’m getting tired of p
