I froze in shock, my eyes fixed on Hadrian as his words echoed in my mind, struggling to grasp their meaning. It seemed I was the only one grappling with this revelation; everyone else instantly lowered their heads in deference.
“What?” I whispered to him, my voice trembling.
“You heard me,” he replied, a sly smirk playing on his lips.
“I don’t even know what that means,” I murmured, my confusion slipping into frustration.
“Don’t worry,” he said reassuringly, brushing his hand over my hair. “Gareth will teach you everything you need to know.”
I managed a faint smile, though panic was steadily rising within me. The crowd before us radiated reverence, a kind of respect I had never known. A flicker of an unbidden thought crossed my mind: would I have been treated like this if I’d been bo
