Chapter 47 The Royal Proposal

• The week following Samuel's attack settled over the Onyx Moon packhouse like a healing balm, though the scars remained visible in cracked stone and hastily repaired windows. Bobby walked the morning grounds with Gideon, their footsteps soft against the dew-dampened earth. The early light painted everything in gentle gold, offering a peace she hadn't felt in months.
• "The gardeners did well," Gideon observed, nodding toward the rebuilt flower beds. "You'd hardly know a battle happened here."
• Bobby traced her fingers along a newly planted rosebush, its thorns sharp against her skin. "Some wounds heal faster than others."