CHAPTER NINEThe Queen Mother was already seated when I walked in, her posture regal and cold, her fingers glittering with rings that caught the dim light from the burning candles. Beside her sat an older man, his presence familiar enough to make my chest tighten. My father.

They were deep inside her private chambers, far away from curious ears. The air was thick with the scent of incense and deceit.

“Mother,” I greeted quietly, my voice low, almost hesitant. Then I bent again, ...