Chapter 79

• Hadrian held my hand firmly as we made our way back to the castle. His silence was heavy, his gaze distant, lost in thought. Each time our eyes met, I offered him a smile, and though he returned it fleetingly, it was clear his mind was elsewhere. A nagging feeling settled in my chest, a sense that something weighed on him, something he wasn’t sharing. I couldn’t help but wonder what had transpired during his private conversation with the Princess. Whatever it was, I felt certain it was the source of his current unrest.
• “If I may... Master...” Gareth’s hesitant voice broke the quiet.
• “Count Patel will likely visit the castle soon, demanding an explanation for his eldest son’s death.”