The next morning dawned with a pale hush over the estate, as if the land itself was holding its breath. Liora stood by the window of the small library, watching the mist crawl low across the grass. Her hands were clasped before her, the chill of the glass pane seeping into her skin, grounding her thoughts that had begun to spiral ever since the meeting in the war room.
Behind her, footsteps approached with quiet purpose.
"You rise early," Lucien's voice came, quieter than usual.
She turned, the light casting soft hues across her features. "There's too much unrest in the air to sleep deeply."
He regarded her with a faint nod and moved to stand beside her. Their reflections stared back at them from the window two figures tied by duty and secrets yet bound to walk the same road. He didn't speak right away. And neither did she.
It was Lucien who finally broke the silence. "Samuel found signs that one of the estate's outer riders has been bribed. The coin was foreign, Avelorn mint."
