The Queen Dowager’s chambers were suffocating, not from the thick air or the scent of medicinal herbs lingering in the atmosphere, but from the tension that coiled in every corner of the dimly lit room, it could be cut with a dull knife.
Outside, the afternoon was deceptively peaceful. The sky was clear, the warmth of the sun bathing the castle in golden light, and the courtyards were filled with the usual bustle of servants and nobles carrying out their duties. But within these walls, a storm raged in silence.
Ruby sat across from the grand bed where the dowager lay, her posture rigid, her hands delicately resting in her lap. Her expression was unreadable, her lips pressed into a thin, unmoving line. If she felt anything at all, it did not show.
The air in the Dowager’s chamber was thi
