The grand hall of Valkoron still carried the lingering weight of what had just unfolded between the Valmyrins and the crown, an invisible tension pressing against every corner of the vaulted ceiling and every gilded pillar.
Conversations that had once flowed with ease now faltered into cautious murmurs, as though even the aristocrats feared that speaking too loudly might shatter whatever fragile balance remained after the earlier revelations.
The dowager queen Aelira, ever composed, noticed it immediately, she was not blind.
She saw the subtle shift in the atmosphere the moment Valentina learned the identity of the woman seated beside the king. The way Valentina's smile had stiffened after learning of the queen's identity.
She saw the flicker of uncertainty behind the young woman's eyes. The uncertainty hidden behind the young woman's carefully maintained composure.
Most importantly, she saw the nobles and their reactions and knew immediately that the court was feeding on this.
