Inside the inner bedchamber, Iruna was carefully adjusting the folds of Zaliyah's outer silk robe. The room was still bathed in a peaceful stillness—a contrast to the deep silence that had hung over the courtyard the night before when Malachi stood beneath the balcony.
A sudden, sharp knock broke the quiet.
Before Iruna could step forward to answer, the doors were pushed open. Five senior imperial maidservants, clad in identical blue palace attire, glided into the chamber in a single file. Each maid carried a silver tray draped in red velvet.
Resting upon the central tray sat a porcelain bowl filled with a pearl-white liquid that hummed with a faint, magical luminescence, accompanied by fine brush and silver bowls.
Iruna's eyes narrowed instantly, her hand dropping to her side as her posture stiffened immediately.
"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" Iruna demanded, Her mind immediately flashed to the sadistic tortures of the Queen. "Did Her Majesty send you here?"
