I woke to the deepest, most restorative silence I had ever known. The oppressive weight of exhaustion was gone, replaced by a quiet, vibrant energy pulsing in tune with the Temporal Nexus. I was nestled securely against Torian.
I opened my eyes and found myself looking up at the velvet curtains that draped across the intricately carved posts of the colossal bed. The fire in the hearth had died down to glowing embers. The chamber was lit by the soft, diffused light that signaled dawn in Aethelgard.
Torian stirred, his arm tightening around my waist for the briefest moment. His eyes opened and he looked down at me, then a slow, warm smile spread across his lips. “Good morning, my Queen,” he murmured, his voice husky from sleep. “Did you sleep well?”
“Better than I have in a year,” I con
