CASSANDRA’S POV
The moment I saw Cyprus again, I expected something—relief, nostalgia, even joy. But there was nothing. Just an empty, hollow space where emotions should have been.
I feel distant.
Had I always been this way? Or had something been taken from me?
A dull ache pressed against the edges of my thoughts, like a wound I couldn’t see. I let it pass. It didn’t matter. Emotions were irrelevant to duty.
Cyprus shifted, hesitating before he spoke. "I… I just wonder," he started carefully, searching my face. "Does the Queen really need to be involved in every step of the way? It’s our wedding, after all."
I blinked at him, puzzled. "But she’s still our Queen. She wants to be part of the planning, so I think we should obey."
His eyes darkened, and I could see frustration simmering
