Chapter 21

• Elyra
• The tension in my chest had only tightened since hearing those words, the rumor. The thought alone sent a shiver through my bones, one that I couldn’t shake. Could it be Elvira? Could she really have survived all this time? It was impossible to ignore, no matter how hard I tried.
• I kept my composure as I walked back into the royal chambers, pretending the weight of the news wasn’t pressing down on me like a stone. My mind kept racing, sifting through the possibilities, but the one thing I knew for certain was that I couldn’t let this reach my mother’s ears—or worse my brothers.