Chapter 122

The market was alive with its usual chaos, the hum of voices, the clang of blacksmiths, the sharp call of hawkers promising the ripest fruits and freshest fabrics. The scents of roasted meat and sweet honey bread lingered in the air, mingling with dust kicked up beneath hurried feet. I kept a careful distance, trailing behind the boys, my cloak drawn close so the villagers wouldn’t make a scene out of my presence. This was their moment, not mine.

Henry’s small fingers clung tightly to Jayden’s, and the sight alone made my chest ache. The little one’s steps were tentative, his eyes darting from stall to stall, wide with wonder and just a hint of fear. Jayden, in contrast, walked with his chin lifted proudly, like the palace itself followed at his heels. He was a king’s son, a boy born with weight on his shoulders, and yet, when he glanced down at Henry, his whole face softened.

“Do they bow because of you?” Henry’s voice was barely a whisper, though the curiosi