Before long, the drawing room had emptied.
One by one, the others had drifted away—Lannae excitedly following the maids carrying her gifts, Maye leaving with restrained irritation written across her face, Henry being wheeled out by a servant, and Niaya departing in quiet silence. Their footsteps and murmurs faded down the corridors until the large chamber finally returned to its natural stillness.
Now, only two people remained inside the vast room.
The Old Queen and the Crown Prince.
They stood several steps apart near the tall ceiling-to-floor window, the early morning light spilling into the chamber and painting the polished floors in soft gold. Outside, the sun was slowly rising above the distant hills, casting long shadows across the royal gardens below.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
