"My daughter never returned after the festival," Dalindra said. Her voice did not rise, yet the hall seemed to close in around it. "She left this palace, and she vanished."
"That has nothing to do with us," Ziven snapped angrily. "Your loss does not give you the right to trap us here." he added.
This was madness. They were all trapped beneath Dalindra's watch, with no path to leave and no room to argue. She had not seen her daughter since the festival ended, and now she stood in the palace, demanding answers none of them had prepared for.
Lady Brieley had vanished, and Dalindra demanded her child. The threat was clear, spoken without haste or humor. If Lady Brieley was not produced, no one in that hall would walk out unchanged.
