Elena's POV The next day, I went to the courthouse to helpi Nora organize a stack of legal documents that needed to be delivered to a merchant on the other side of town, and by the time I stepped outside with the sealed papers tucked beneath my arm, the marketplace was already crowded. Merchants called out to passing customers, children ran between the stalls, carts blocked half the road, and the smells of fresh bread, spices, livestock, and the river blended into one familiar mess that I had long since learned to ignore. I was already thinking about getting back to the courthouse when I heard Nora’s name. I stopped on hearing her name.The man speaking had his back to me, and at first I assumed he was simply another traveler asking for directions, but something about the way he said her name made me pay attention. He stood near a fruit stall, questioning an older merchant who looked increasingly uncomfortable.“Nora,” the stranger repeated. “She arrived here a little over a year ag
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