~Katrina~
We were fast asleep when a sudden cry jolted us awake.
The king sat up on the bed at once, his face pale and alert.
"Fortuna," he said, as if sure it was her.
My eyes were barely open, still heavy with sleep, but his voice pulled me back to full awareness.
"Did you dream of her?" I asked, unsure why he had called her name so quickly.
"That cry… it was Fortuna," he repeated with certainty in his voice.
I was surprised he could tell just by the sound, but deep inside, I believed him.
"Do you think something happened in the quarters?" I asked, my heart pounding. If it truly was Fortuna, something terrible must have happened.
He rushed into his changing room. I sat there, too tense to move, until he returned a few minutes later—fully dressed, eyes filled with worry.
He was ready to leave. But I didn't want to stay behind. I couldn't. I needed to know what had happened.
"I'll come with you," I said, rising from the bed, wrapping the blanket around my bare body.
