ASHINA’S POVI had lost count of the hours.The fire in the hearth had died, the tea on the tray gone cold. I sat still in the Queen’s private chamber, my wrists resting on my knees, posture straight even as my body ached. I had refused her once. Twice. More times than I could recall. Every time I said “no,” her voice remained calm, her smile never wavered. But I could see the fury pulsing beneath that stillness.Queen Elira stood by the arched window, veiled in moonlight. Her silken gown whispered as she moved, her presence like smoke; elegant, intoxicating, and impossible to grasp.“You're wasting your breath,” I said finally, my throat hoarse from silence. “The answer is the same.”She turned to me slowly, lips curling with that same diplomatic smile.“And yet,” she murmured, “you’re still here. Still breathing. Still mine to decide upon.”“This isn’t hospitality,” I said, voice tightening. “It’s imprisonment.”Queen Elira gave a soft, hollow laugh. “Oh, my dear. Now you see it?”
Last Updated : 2025-08-06 Read more