The wind in Almira carried a new scent—not just of mountain pine, but of something deeper. Change. Subtle at first. Whispered. Then, louder.
For two weeks, the castle buzzed with quiet intensity as River worked day and night, pouring her entire being into the planning of what would become her first major initiative as Lady of Almira.
It wasn’t easy.
She barely knew how to read or write when they arrived. Her fingers still fumbled over letters, and her eyes blurred from the endless scrolls and reports she demanded to see. More than once, she thought she might give up.
But then she’d look out the window. Toward the villages. Toward the people.
And she would remember herself—before Heiko. A wandering, frightened omega with nothing but her strength and stubbornness.
Now? She had a voice.
