The night passed quietly within the walls of the Elven house, though Aesa barely closed her eyes. Sleep felt like a luxury her body no longer knew how to accept now that she was in an unfamiliar place.
She sat in silence for hours, listening to the faint breaths of Krono and Eccar, the muted life of the kingdom outside, and the ever-present pulse of her own thoughts.
The hours felt long, but she endured them as she always had.
When dawn finally broke, pale gold light streamed through the carved wooden shutters.
It spilled across the table, catching on the strands of her white hair and painting her in an almost ethereal glow.
