The palace felt strangely quiet, the next day. The usual gossip and noise had been replaced by a mourning atmosphere. The news about Princess Isadora's death and Valdren's arrest had spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom.
Alina stood by the bed of her room folding her clothes slowly. She hadn't brought much to Arcasedia, and she was leaving with even less— just the essentials and a small bag of her mother's belongings.
Austin walked around the room, supervising the guards loading the carriages outside. Alina picked up one of her mother's scarves, and gently brushed her fingers over it. She had come to Arcasedia looking for acceptance, for a way to stand beside Austin without shame. Instead, she was leaving with grief, truth, and finally…freedom.
