Pearl’s POV
The cold iron of the chain dug into the delicate skin around my neck as they dragged me through the stone corridors. Every step was jarring. The shackles clinked and scraped across the floor, a cruel rhythm that echoed with each tug on the chain. My knees burned, scraped from where I stumbled, but they didn’t let me stop not even to stand properly.
“I didn’t do anything,” I whispered, hoarse.
My voice cracked under the weight of panic.
“I’m not a traitor,” I tried again, louder this time, as they yanked me forward.
But they didn’t listen.
No one ever listens when it matters.
Their hands were rough, uncaring. Each time I resisted even just to catch my breath the guard at the front jerked the chain harder, forcing my body to jolt forward with a gasp. The pressure around my
