Elara's pov

My hands were raw.

The moment King Kaelen disappeared through that doorway, I forced myself off the floor, clutching the table’s edge to stay upright. My ribs screamed with every breath, and the room swam at the edges of my vision, but I wouldn't sit. I wouldn't lie down. I had orders. And in this place, disobedience was death.

The chamber was enormous, stretching wider than any room I’d ever seen, with floors polished to perfect with dark marble, reflecting the ...