[Osric's POV—Everheart Mansion, Osric's Chamber]
"Did the maid confess anything?" I asked, pushing open the heavy chamber door. It groaned like an old beast—same as my patience lately.
Aldric, vice-captain of the Everheart Knights and the most maddeningly by-the-book man I knew, stood waiting by the hearth. Firelight caught on the polished edge of his armor, and for a moment, he looked like he belonged on a stained-glass window.
He inclined his head. "No, my lord. She keeps repeating the same thing—says she never saw the man's face. Hooded. Voice distorted. Paid in foreign coin."
I nodded, already peeling off my black overshirt. The fabric clung to my skin, stiff with dried sweat and palace heat. My body ached—though I wasn't sure if it was from sword drills or the weight of carrying too many secrets.
"And… Marquess Everett?" I asked, voice low as I tossed the shirt aside.
