Aria POV

The war room doors slammed shut behind me, the echo shuddering through the stone walls like the punctuation of a verdict. My chest heaved, every breath scraping. The fury had carried me in here, armor wrapped tight, but walking out,leaving him standing there silent, unmoving,it didn’t feel like victory. It felt like a fracture.

I didn’t cry,not in his halls, not where eyes always lingered in shadows and mouths itched to whisper.

I stormed past guards who bowed but didn’t meet my gaze. Past courtiers who stiffened like I was a storm they couldn’t risk touching. Let them watch. Let them murmur. Every step of mine was a...