"Aunt… the King? What do they mean? Why would the King summon me?" Elara asked, her voice trembling as she turned to Maria. Her wide brown eyes were filled with fear and confusion, her lips parting as if she couldn't quite believe what she had just heard.
She was tired—tired of powerful men who seemed to only bring her pain, suffering, and chains disguised as authority.
Maria pressed her palm to her chest, trying to calm the frantic pounding of her heart. A cold shiver ran through her as the truth finally aligned in her mind like pieces of a dreadful puzzle.
She swallowed hard. "Elara, do you remember when I told you about the two men who saved you last night?"
The pounding on the door grew louder, the heavy wood shaking with each strike. The sound echoed in the small house like thunder, rattling dishes on the shelves and making Elara flinch.
