Chapter 82 The Second Wife's Curse

• Courtyard.
• Beneath the dappled shade of the courtyard arbor, Lady Ravena reclined with ease upon a cushioned chaise, a silver plate of honeyed figs and almond-stuffed dates set before her. Beside her sat Lady Valaria, heavy with child, her hands gently cradling the swell of her womb.
• Around them, handmaidens bustled softly, murmuring as they poured cooled rosewater and fanned their mistresses from the midday sun. The air was rich with the scent of jasmine and the hum of idle conversation.