Verity's POV

The knock on my door came late in the evening when the sun had already dipped below the horizon and the castle halls were quieter than usual.

I opened it to find one of the servants standing there with her head bowed and her hands clasped in front of her. She looked nervous and kept glancing down the corridor like she was afraid someone might see her.

"Lady Verity," she said quietly and her voice shook a little. "Queen Avaline requests your presence in her chambers. She says it's ...