Elena’s POV

The next morning, I was filled with a little too much energy.

I had already washed the linens, polished the silver, and delivered breakfast trays, and still my body moved like a machine, following the rhythm of habit.

Sleep had been impossible too. Every time I closed my eyes, the same scene repeated over and over again. The council elders, Damien’s silence over my pain, Stella's annoying demeanor, even the silent accusations in the hands of the other maids in the servant ...