Three weeks passed in a blurring haze of endless preparation, and the palace became even more chaotic by the day. Surprisingly, Ophelia had done absolutely nothing to stir up trouble since her attendant was dragged off to the dungeons, but her sudden, eerie quietness only caused my anxiety to spike through the roof.
On a brighter note, Maribel and Liora had finally finished their grueling two-week royal protocol training with the Queen. I was currently strolling through the central palace courtyard with both of my ladies-in-waiting trailing closely behind me, making our way toward the open-air training grounds where Elias and Cassian were heavily engaged in a fierce sword sparring match.
