Lorelei

The morning after the attack, the citadel breathed differently.

I felt it the moment I stepped out of my room—the weight in the air, the tension in every shadow, the way servants moved with their heads down and guards gripped their weapons like lifelines. Sleep had been impossible. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw flashes of orange sky and heard the phantom echo of explosions.

Penelope found me in the corridor, her face pale but composed. "My lady, there's a meeting. Beta Igor ...