Chapter 30 Blood In The Courtyard

• The moment my feet touched the courtyard stones, the chaos shifted. Guards parted before me like waves before a ship's prow, their fear of my reputation stronger than their orders to capture the intruder.
• Kael stood in the center of their circle, breathing hard but still deadly, his dark eyes finding mine across the distance.
• "Stand down," I commanded, my voice carrying the authority of executioner and princess both. The guards hesitated, torn between duty and terror.