ATTICUS
“I know you want to protect me because of the coronation,” she said, her voice steady but carrying that edge she got when she was trying to keep something buried deep down. “But I have my own reasons to make sure it’s successful.”
As Hera’s words hung in the air, my chest tightened.
Her words hit me harder than I cared to admit.
She thought this was about the coronation, the kingdom, some calculated plan. And maybe I wanted her to keep believing that—to make it easier on both of us.
But if I was honest, I knew it wasn’t. This was about her. And I wasn’t prepared to watch her walk straight into whatever fire was waiting for her.
“What do you mean?” I forced my voice to stay level, hoping she didn’t see the tension coiling beneath.
She took a breath, like she was bracing he
