*Aria*
They didn’t drag me by the arms.
They didn’t have to.
Darius walked just ahead of me, shoulders tight, and every line of his body broadcasting barely leashed disapproval. Rhea paced at my side, jaw clenched, eyes flicking between the trees and my face as if expecting Lucian to appear out of both.
The walk back to the manor took half the time it had taken to leave.
It's funny how anger sped a path.
By the time the outer walls rose through the trees, looming gray and solid against the winter‑pale sky, my heartbeat had finally slowed from a gallop to something like a sprint.
Inside the courtyard, the usual morning bustle stuttered as we entered.
Servants carrying baskets of linens paused mid‑step.
A pair of younger warriors sparring to one side let their practice blows falter,
