Astrid
Days passed in silence.
Castleburg, once thick with tension and hidden blades, breathed with the illusion of peace. The air no longer reeked of suspicion. No whispers followed me through the corridors. No summoned councils. No political manoeuvres.
Just silence.
My body had begun to change—my stomach rounded gently, unmistakably. My child grew within me, safe and strong. It was a quiet miracle in the heart of a storm I feared hadn’t truly passed.
Feeding was controlled now. I could take blood from Elira without wanting to rip her throat off. Everything ran smoothly.
Until it didn’t.
The shift came on a snow-drenched morning. I had just risen from bed, still in my nightgown when Salric burst into my chambers without knocking.
Her face was pale, her hair wild from the wind, a
