ZURI

“Set it on the table, Amelia.”

She nodded once and moved with her usual careful grace. She placed the tray beside the open window. She hadn’t sat down since I arrived. The room was already sparkly clean, and I had all my needs met, but she would still come up with something yet to be done.

The tray contained bowls of sliced fruit, honey, and a cup of warm herbal tea that smelled faintly of mint and spice.

The evening air drifted in, carrying the hum of the kingdom. I took a deep ...