Chapter 194

CHAPTER 36… VALENTINA The city woke differently after the Accord. It was scared— but secretively. From the balcony, I watched the streets below as dawn spread thin gold across the rooftops. Merchants opened their stalls with cautious hands. Guards spoke less. Mothers kept their children closer. Even the birds circled longer before landing, as if the air itself had learned hesitation. The kingdom felt… attentive. Luciano slept in my arms, his small weight warm and solid against my chest. The silver beneath his skin was quiet this morning— no pulse, no shimmer. Just life, just his usual baby self, like a normal child should be. That almost frightened me more than the glow ever had. Because silence, I had learned, was never empty. It was listening. Behind me, Andres was already awake, standing near the table strewn with maps and reports… “You’re thinking too loudly,” I said softly. He glanced at me, his lips twitching slightly. “You taught me that was possible.” I smiled faintly and turne