Grief was an emotion that could destroy a person. It had a sense of greed that rivaled Man, taking and taking without ever finding satisfaction.
I stared straight ahead, my eyes trained on the doors to my balcony. It was well past noon now, yet I gave no sign of ever moving. How long had it been since our return? Days? Weeks? I wouldn't know. Time seemed irrelevant. Though I had my duties to attend to, no one blinked while I disregarded them. After all, I was no longer the crown princess. There was nothing I was immediately needed for. And no one dared to ask anything of me. Even Camille and Farren left me to my own devices save for bringing me a meal every once in a while. The plates always went back full.
Ever since our return to the capital, not a single person had been in to se
