The silence in Seraphina's quarters had changed.
For three years, the silence had been heavy. It had pressed against her ears like deep water. It was the sound of absence.
Tonight, the silence felt different. It felt like a pause before music.
Seraphina stood in front of her mirror. She touched the silver chain around her neck.
Richard's ring still hung there. It always would.
But for the first time, the cold metal didn't burn against her skin.
She remembered Marcus's words from the garden.
Honoring him doesn't mean dying with him.
She looked at her reflection.
The woman in the mirror wasn't the Ice Queen anymore.
Her eyes were bright. Her cheeks held a flush that had nothing to do with rouge.
She was terrified.
Facing the Magistrate had been a battle of wills. She understood battles.
She knew how to fight enemies who wanted to hurt her.
This was different. This was fighting for something she wanted to keep.
She smoothed the fabric of her dress.
