On the other side Alisha walked back into the palace not stopping until she found an empty coriander. She stood there leaning against a wall and exhaled sharply, pressing a hand against her chest as if that would somehow calm the erratic beating of her heart.
It had been years since she had last spoken to Daniel so closely, and yet… why did his presence still affect her this way?
She closed her eyes, forcing herself to push aside the emotions that threatened to resurface. It was foolish. Whatever had once existed between them had been shattered long ago, buried beneath duty, loss, and the irreparable rift between their families.
And yet, for a moment, when he had called her by her name instead of the formalities of their titles… it had felt like the past creeping back in, a whisper of something that no longer had a place in their present lives.
No. She had far more pressing concerns now.
Alisha straightened, pushing away from the wall
