Chapter 266

AURELIA’S POV Darius held his line like stone. Kael’s jaw worked in ways that looked like anger and worry braided together. They pushed the crowd back, shouted curt commands, offered clipped assurances about an ongoing investigation. They protected me — but even the shields were thin. I watched the way Darius’s eyes flicked to me from time to time, and though he didn’t speak my name with accusation, there was a coldness there I couldn’t ignore. His restraint felt less like trust and more like calculation. That knowledge settled in my gut like a bitter pill: even the people who claimed to guard me no longer trusted me entirely. Their loyalty had eroded by whispers and the ease of repeating what served them. It was easier for them to ask questions than to look for answers. But I had none. I had held myself together all day as if skin and bone were enough to keep the world intact. I answered questions with measured bows. I let servants usher me past prying eyes. I watched the whispers cra