The palace felt heavier that night than it had in years. The very walls seemed to breathe with secrets, as if the bricks themselves carried whispers too dangerous to speak aloud. Selena sat alone in her chamber, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to steady the candlelight on her desk. The flame wavered, almost like it was frightened too.
It had been hours since the confrontation in the council chamber, yet the words still echoed in her mind. "The blood of the lost queen runs through her veins." Those words had been like thunder rolling through the skies, shaking the foundation of everything she thought she knew about herself.
