Chapter 32 Prince

• Dawn brought no clarity, only the relentless march toward a wedding that would either save or damn us all. I'd returned to my chambers before the servants began their morning rounds, but sleep had proved impossible. Instead, I'd spent the hours before sunrise practicing with my daggers, letting the familiar
• rhythm of blade work calm my racing thoughts.
• The knock on my door came precisely at sunrise—too early for servants, too formal for family. "Enter," I called, sheathing my weapons and reaching for a silk robe to cover my practice clothes.