Chapter 201
Dane
The moon was high when I finally returned to the palace.
My boots echoed on the stone floors as I stormed through the hallways like a stormcloud walking on two legs, barely holding myself together. The weight of my royal coat was suffocating. The golden thread, the velvet drape — it felt less like honor and more like a noose. I didn’t stop walking until I reached the one place that hadn’t betrayed me with empty promises: the library.
Shoving open the door, I stepped into the dim-lit sanctuary, shutting the world out with a heavy thud. The familiar scent of old parchment and pinewood shelves calmed something feral in me. I shrugged off the royal coat and tossed it on the nearest couch like it disgusted me. Loosening the buttons of my undershirt, I finally breathed. My c
