Chapter 218

Alessio arrived at my shoulder, moving like a man who had news and knew where to put it.

He did not speak.

He didn’t have to.

I felt the bond tug a second before Aethel’s head turned toward the hall.

“Inside,” she said softly.

We dismissed the square with warmth. Not pomp. Not a king’s wave. A woman’s hand, a man’s nod, the promise of tables to be set before the sun dropped. People spilled into