The royal chamber was warm, but River felt a chill in her bones.
She sat close to Heiko, her hands folded in her lap to hide the tremor threatening to show itself. The guards, three of them, stood like statues near the door and windows, watching every move. Their eyes were trained on them with veiled suspicion, backs straight, weapons ready. It was a cage with velvet walls.
River wanted to reach for Heiko again, to ask him everything—what happened, why, what happened on that battlefield—but she couldn't. Not with those eyes on them.
After changing into a clean set of court clothes—simple but noble—Heiko looked a shadow of his former self. Stronger than before, yes. The water and food had brought color back into his skin, and the clean fabric covered the grime and blood that once clung t
