22

In the midst of royalty and resentment, I stood, a pawn in a game where the rules were elusive, and the stakes were higher than the castle's towering spires could reach.

The court elders, with a mixture of reluctance and duty, filed out of the grand hall.

The last elder, on his way out, turned to Liam and said, "I am overjoyed by the return of my king and his queen. Rest well." The words held a veneer of formality, but beneath it, there was a genuine sentiment of happiness for Liam's return.

As the grand hall emptied, leaving Liam and me in the wake of the elders' departure, the atmosphere shifted. The weight of their scrutiny had lifted, but an undercurrent of tension lingered.

The absence of the elders brought a momentary calm, but I could not shake the feeling that the challenges were far from over. Liam glanced at me, his eyes holding a silent reassurance.

Liam gestured for me to join him on his lap, a gesture that felt both unfamiliar and oddly intimate. As I settled into his e