AYASHA'S POV
The King stood slowly, his chair scraping against the stone floor. The sound echoed through the hall like fingernails on glass. He brushed invisible dust from his robes and smiled at us with the satisfaction of a man who had just watched his favorite play reach its climax.
"Well done, ladies," he said, his voice carrying that same awful warmth he'd used all evening. "Truly exceptional work."
Lord Gavron rose beside him, his pale eyes scanning our faces one by one. When his gaze landed on me, I felt like a specimen pinned to a board. Something to be studied and catalogued.
"Your rides are waiting outside," King Nahuel announced. He gestured toward the doors with casual elegance, like he hadn't just watched one of us die on his dining room floor. "Rest well tonight. Tomorrow brings new opportunities."
