Kaelis POV
It is working.
That truth settles into me with the quiet satisfaction of a long-laid stone finally locking into place. I do not need confirmation delivered by trembling messengers or whispered reports dragged from reluctant mouths. Some things announce themselves not with noise, but with alignment. With the sense that the world has shifted its weight ever so slightly—just enough to favor you.
I stand alone in my private chamber, the door sealed, the corridor beyond dismissed. Candlelight paints the walls in patient gold, catching on polished stone and banners stitched with lineage and promise. Every inch of this place was designed for a woman who understands restraint. A woman who knows that power does not need to hurry.
This chamber was always meant for a queen.
I move slo
