The candlelight flickered softly in the chamber, casting golden hues over the stone walls. The air was thick with unsaid words, the weight of revelations waiting to be spoken.
Seraphina stood by the window, her fingers grazing the cold surface of the glass as she stared at the night sky. Below, the kingdom pulmed with life—soldiers preparing for war, allies arriving from distant lands, all of them moving as though the world had not just shifted beneath her feet.
Behind her, Anaxia sat upright on the bed, her weakened form wrapped in thick furs. The bruises under her eyes had faded slightly, but the exhaustion in her soul remained. Her hands rested in her lap, trembling ever so slightly.
Neither spoke for a long moment.
Then, finally, Anaxia broke the silence.
“I know why you came.”
S
