The tedium of governance settled over me like a familiar coat—uncomfortable but well-worn. For two days, I'd occupied my brother's chair in the Council Chamber, nodding at the appropriate intervals while Minister Chen droned on about timber tariffs and agricultural subsidies. My notes filled page after page with meticulously organized bullet points that I knew Theo would never read. The ministers seemed almost disappointed by the lack of crisis during my temporary stewardship, their prepared arguments and carefully rehearsed concerns met with calm efficiency that left them blinking in confusion. But the monotony of state business was rendered bearable by what waited for me beyond the heavy oak doors: Lola, exploring the palace gardens or curled up with a book in my quarters, her scent ling
