River woke gasping.
The light through the window was mid-morning. The bed beside her was empty, and the absence of Tristan's warmth registered before her eyes finished adjusting.
She sat up. Her hands were shaking. She couldn't remember the dream but her body remembered the feeling of it. The remnants of something dark clung to the edges of her awareness, a pressure behind her eyes, a taste in the back of her throat like copper and ash.
River was out of the bed in a flash and pushed open her door.
The guard turned.
"You are unwell, Princess. The healer said he would return within the hour."
She wasn't sure what he was referring to.
"Thank you, I feel fine though. Where is Tristan?"
"The prince is in council, Your Highness. He left orders to let you rest."
"Shoot," she breathed.
She ran.
