Chapter 31 Thirty One

• Sebastian's POV
• The silence of the packhouse is a contrast to the storm inside my head. Sleep refuses to come, my mind too tangled in the uncertainty of what awaits us. The king’s response to our objection is still unknown, and the weight of that uncertainty settles heavily in my chest.
• Luciano and I have never been ones to hesitate, but this is different. Defying the king is not a decision we can take lightly. The alliance with the princess was arranged long before we ever knew Evana existed, yet now, every instinct in me rebels against it. She is ours. The idea of binding ourselves to another feels like a betrayal—to her, to ourselves.