The Weight of Silence

(Neva’s POV)

The days after the meeting with the King and the elders blurred quickly.

I stood by the open window, staring at the courtyard below. Maids walked in and out of the palace carrying baskets of clothes. One maid had a little girl clutching at her gown. She bent, scooping the child into her arms, and the air filled with the sound of giggles.

My chest tightened. My thoughts flew immediatel