✦ Chapter 25 ✦
When Lucien left the library, the weight in his chest followed him like a shadow that refused to detach. His conversation with Vynn still clung to him, sharp and bitter, and the last thing he wanted was to cross paths with his father. The king had a way of pressing salt into wounds without even trying, of turning unrest into something heavier, something unbearable. So Lucien walked past the familiar corridors without slowing, intent on leaving the palace grounds altogether.
That was when he saw her.
She stood near the garden, framed by blooming roses heavy with scent and color, her posture still, almost reverent, as if she were afraid to disturb the flowers by breathing too loudly. Elian's mother. The sight of her stopped Lucien mid-step.
The mark on her neck was fading.
