Alexander, Arthur, and Derick stood in the long hallway, far enough from the dining room door that the witch wouldn't overhear them. The castle was unusually quiet, the walls holding onto an air of tension that none of them dared address aloud. The faint echo of Faith's footsteps had only just faded down the corridor when Derick finally exhaled.
"What do we do now, Your Majesty?" Derick asked carefully. "Are you really considering letting her stay here?"
There was a brief, heavy silence. Alexander's expression remained unreadable, eyes focused straight ahead as though he were listening to something far away.
"Let her stay for a while," he finally answered. "If the attacker is truly a witch, then finding this person will be easier with a witch on our side. And now we have one—though her intentions… are questionable at best."
