Chapter 294

AURELIA’S POV The feast ended in strained silence. No more laughter, no more jeering—just the weight of Draven’s fury pressing down on the hall like a storm about to break. The moment the crowd was dismissed, his guards closed in around me, their faces unreadable. They didn’t drag me—no, Draven was too clever for that—but the message was clear. I was to follow. The great hall gave way to narrow corridors, then to his private chamber. The heavy doors slammed shut behind me, the sound reverberating like a war drum. Draven stood at the window, hands clasped behind his back, his broad shoulders rigid. The torchlight painted his profile in fire and shadow. When he spoke, his voice was low, dangerous. “Do you know what you’ve done?” I swallowed, my pulse thundering. “I told the truth.” His head turned slowly, his eyes gleaming with cold amusement. “You humiliated a warrior in front of his peers. You undermined me, Aurelia. Me. In my own hall.” “You wanted obedience,” I said, my voice steadie