Elara's POV
The evening was quiet when the knock came.
I had been sitting at my desk for hours, reading through reports, signing papers, trying to focus on work that kept blurring in front of my eyes. The candles had burned low. The fire had died down. I had not eaten dinner. I had not slept well in days.
I had requested this meeting. I needed to talk to Corvus. I needed to tell him things I had not told anyone else. I needed to know if I could trust him the way I needed to trust him.
The knock came. Three raps. The way he always knocked.
"Enter."
Corvus stepped inside. He closed the door behind him. He did not sit immediately. He stood near the door, his face still, his hands at his sides. He looked tired. More tired than I had ever seen him. The lines around his eyes were deeper. His shoulders were heavy.
"Thank you for coming," I said.
"You asked me to come, Your Majesty. I came."
