Chapter 16. Sleepwalk

I opened my eyes slowly, wincing in pain as agony radiated from my back.

Zara had been typing furiously on her laptop, her eyes scanning the screen for any errors. She was working on a report for the lord, a high-ranking official in the fort. She had to finish it by the end of the day, and she didn't have time for distractions.

Until a loud bang, and looked up in alarm. The door to her office had been flung open, and a young woman stood in the doorway, panting and frowning. She recognized her as Alice, her niece and assistant. Alice had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a slender figure. She was wearing a pink dress and a matching hat, looking like she had just come from a tea party.

"Alice, what's the rush? Is something the matter?" Zara asked, her voice calm despite the interruption.

Alice took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "Aunt Zara, I need to talk to you. You said to meet Scar for brunch, but he left abruptly before I could even meet him."

Zara raised an eyebrow, intrig