Pain.
It came first—not sharp, but deep, spreading like cold iron through her veins.
Elara's eyes fluttered open, only to be met with a ceiling of damp stone. Her limbs were heavy, her vision blurred. Chains clinked as she moved.
She was strapped to a cot in a dungeon infirmary.
A soft voice floated in. “You're awake. Impressive."
Serena.
Elara's head lolled to the side. Serena stood nearby, dressed in pristine healer robes, a crimson sash tied at her waist like a mockery of mercy.
“What… did you give me?" Elara rasped.
“Something old," Serena said cheerfully, holding up an empty syringe. “Traditionally used to prevent difficult pregnancies. Or, in your case, end them."
Elara's body tensed with the realization.
The child. Her child.
Her fingers clawed at the restraints, but her
