I gasped, bolting upright in the darkness, my sheets flying off my body as my lungs strained for oxygen. My fingers clawed frantically at my throat, my nails digging into my own skin, fully expecting to feel the gaping wound, the biting cold of silver, or the wet, sticky torrent of my own blood.'I was killed. He killed me.'My lungs burned as if I had been in freezing water. My skin was slick with cold, cloying sweat that made my thin sleeping tunic stick to my ribs. I looked down, hands trembling violently as I searched my bare chest for blood, for a sign of a struggle, for any evidence of a violent end.There was nothing.The room was dead silent. The curtains of my chamber were drawn perfectly tight, undisturbed by any late-night breeze or intruding shadows. The door remained closed securely from the inside, exactly as I had left it before retiring. My royal tunic sat folded on the nearby armchair, free of any tears, bloodstains, or signs of an attack.I blinked into the darkness,
Last Updated : 2026-06-16 Read more