The Queen Has Landed

The smell of sizzling oil and fried garlic drifted through the kitchen, wrapping the air in a kind of cozy warmth that didn’t quite match the tension simmering just beneath it.

Tessa hummed softly to herself, wooden spoon in hand, as she stirred the pot bubbling on the stove. Her hair was tied up in a loose bun, a few curls escaping and clinging to her cheeks. She looked calm or at least she wanted to look calm. Inside, she was anything but.

She’d been restless all ...