Elsewhere within Quail, suffering continued endlessly.
Inside a wealthy household near the northern district, several young Coralia girls worked silently while scrubbing stone floors beneath their master’s home.
Exhaustion filled every movement.
One girl quietly wiped tears from her eyes.
“I can’t do this anymore.”
Another continued working silently.
“We don’t have a choice.”
“They own us now.”
A third girl nervously glanced toward the doorway.
“Be quiet.”
The first girl lowered her voice shakily.
“Our kingdom is gone.”
“No one is coming to save us.”
Silence followed.
Then another girl slowly lifted her head.
“No.”
The others looked toward her.
“They’ll come.”
Hope flickered faintly inside her tired eyes.
“The queen is alive.”
Her voice softened carefully.
“And if the
