A week passed in a tense, quiet limbo. The weather turned, and a biting wind swept through the corridors, making the castle feel even more like a tomb. I didn't see much of Darius. He was always in meetings, his presence a low hum of activity in the far wing of the estate.
The letter from Harren was gone, but its ghost lingered in the space between us. Darius was watching me more closely now, not with suspicion, but with a kind of clinical assessment, like a scientist observing a new specimen.
I spent my time in the library, trying to make sense of the history of this kingdom, its wars, its alliances, its bitter, endless feuds. It was dry, dense reading, but for the first time, it felt necessary. I wasn't just trying to pass the time anymore. I was trying to learn the rules of the game.
