Circe trailed behind a cluster of nobles as they filed out of the grand dining hall, their laughter and idle chatter a distant buzz in her ears. The evening had come to an end, but her unease was only just beginning. Every step she took towards her bedroom felt heavier than the last. The thought of returning to that room, knowing Ragnar might be there right now, sent a tight knot of anxiety twisting in her stomach.
She didn't want to see him. Not yet. Not with everything she just learned hanging over her like a stormcloud. Yet she had nowhere else to go. The castle was vast but she wasn't safe in any of its many corners, especially not tonight when even the empty corridors felt ominous.
She needed to know the truth. She needed answers.
