The summons was not a request. Royal guards, their faces stern, arrived at Malven’s estate at first light. Their presence was a cold splash of reality against the isolated world Elira and Thane had built. The bond hummed with Thane’s instinctual distrust, a low growl in the back of her mind, but she placed a steadying hand on his arm.“It’s the King,” she said, her voice devoid of the fear or anxiety the moment should have held. “It’s about the debt.”They were escorted to the palace not as honored guests, but as assets. The King received them not in the throne room, but in a private solar, the weight of the kingdom’s fear and his own guilt etched deeply into his face. He dismissed everyone but them and two silent guards at the far door.“Duchess,” the King began, his gaze lingering on the faint, golden light he could now perceive in her eyes—the mark of the bond she made no effort to hide. “You know why you are here. Kael is alive, but his time runs out. The nobles clamor for blood,
Última atualização : 2026-01-20 Ler mais