Just then, a deep voice cut through the corridor as His Majesty emerged through the door. "What is happening here?"
My heart dropped straight into my stomach.
All the courage I had gathered before coming here vanished the moment my eyes met his.
The guard bowed his head quickly. "I apologize, Your Majesty. This lady here insisted she wished to see you. We tried to stop her but…"
"It is fine," the king said calmly.
The guard fell silent at once and stepped aside.
My breath caught in my throat as the king's gaze slowly settled on me.
He studied me for a moment, like a predator observing something that had wandered too close. "You wished to see me?" he said at last.
My fingers tightened around the folds of my dress.
This was it. The reason I had stood here for hours. The reason my heart was beating so loudly I feared everyone could hear it.
"Yes… Your Majesty," I said, my voice quieter than I intended.
