Estella’s POV
Two days later, I woke to a message from Kieran, who had taken it upon himself to keep me updated on Darius’s whereabouts and moods.
‘His Majesty has returned to the palace. He’s in a bad mood. I think his ward can help with that,’ said the latest message. I might’ve ignored it just because he kept calling me ‘ward’ if not for the simple fact that there was a particular monster rotting in the palace dungeon who had information about my parents.
So I got dressed, filed a notice for a personal day off due to family matters, and headed straight for the palace. My heart pounded the entire drive there, my thoughts a tangled mess of nerves and longing. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed Darius until the gates came into view.
He looked like the king everyone feared when I saw
