The palace had not yet settled back into its old rhythm.
Even after the announcement of Nacrifa's safety, even after the training grounds emptied and the banners were taken down, something restless still lingered in the air, like a storm that had passed but refused to fully leave.
Aliena felt it as she walked through the eastern corridor.
The palace was quieter than she expected. Too quiet. The marble floors echoed beneath her steps, each sound magnified, each breath too loud in her ears. Sunlight poured through tall arched windows, painting the walls in gold and dust motes, but it did nothing to ease the tight knot in her chest.
She told herself it was nothing.
Just nerves. Just exhaustion.
Yet her thoughts kept circling back to Sebastian.
