{Third Person}
Four days later~
Morning came quietly, but the silence felt heavier than usual.
Amara sat by the window for a long time after waking, her gaze distant, her thoughts elsewhere.
The palace no longer felt strange in the same way it had before, but it didn't feel like home either. If anything, the familiarity only made the loneliness worse.
By the time breakfast was served, she barely touched her food.
Mrs. Woods noticed and couldn't help asking as she watched her from across the table, "Lady Amara, are you missing home again?"
Amara didn't bother to deny it this time. She lowered her gaze slightly, her fingers tightening around her cutlery before she set it down.
"I miss my friends more than anything," she admitted quietly.
Mrs. Woods softened. "The welcome banquet is in just a week, you will see your family then," she reminded her.
Amara shook her head faintly. "My friends might not come. And even if they wanted to… I have no way of reaching them."
