It was already morning, and when Princess Zara woke up, her mother was still lying next to her. She blinked a few times, trying to place her surroundings. The memory of the last few hours felt completely blank. The silence in the suite wrapped around her, interrupted only by the steady, quiet breathing beside her. She turned her head slowly, her movements stiff and aching, to find Queen Anna still lying on the coverlet, having only slightly adjusted her clothes from the night before. “Mom, what are you doing here? Why aren’t you in your own chambers?”Slowly, Queen Anna opened her eyes. They were heavy with fatigue, the faint lines around them a stark proof to the long, stressful night they had just endured. She looked straight into the blue-gray gaze of her daughter, which now held only bewildered innocence. “You had a nightmare last night, darling,” Anna said softly, her hand instinctively reaching out to brush a stra
Last Updated : 2025-12-16 Read more