LILA'S POV
🐺 🐺
I sat stiff in the carved chair, the heavy table in front of me, my hands folded in my lap.
The air in the dining hall still felt thick, like everyone was holding their breath.
No one spoke. No one moved.
Then Darius’s voice cut through the silence again, calm and steady. “Eat,” he said. Just that one word.
The hall obeyed. Spoons scraped bowls, benches creaked as warriors shifted. But the whispers never stopped—low, quick murmurs slipping between mouths. Eyes kept darting toward me, then away. It made my skin prickle, but not in a bad way. I liked it. I liked that they were looking.
A young boy came around the table with a tray of bread and stew. His hands shook a little when he placed a bowl in front of me. I gave him a smile without thinking. He froze, then smiled
