The heavy wooden door creaked closed behind them as River and Heiko entered the royal bedchamber once more. The echoes of her family’s departure still clung to her heart like shadows, and Heiko could feel it—her melancholy pulsing faintly through their bond. She hadn’t said much since they left the courtyard, but her silence said enough.
He knew this transition was anything but easy.
River, despite the noble name she now carried, had never sought status or riches. She had not clawed her way to power or plotted for comfort. She had loved quietly, suffered silently, and survived more than most. To be thrust into the heart of a kingdom as a Nightshade Princess… it was a weight even the strongest would feel.
Heiko crossed the room without a word, moving to a carved drawer in his desk. The a
