Chapter 236

AURELIA’S POV When I stepped into my chambers, all I wanted was silence. The feast had drained me—smiling when I wanted to cry, nodding while people praised a bravery I didn’t have. My body ached, my head was heavy, and my heart felt like glass on the verge of shattering. But silence was not waiting for me. Seraphina was. She was perched on the edge of my bed as though it were her throne, a picture of effortless beauty. Her golden hair spilled across her shoulders like spun sunlight, her gown was perfectly arranged despite the long journey, and her posture screamed elegance and confidence. When she saw me, she smiled—but it wasn’t the kind of smile that welcomed. It was the kind that cut. “Well,” she drawled, tilting her head as her eyes roamed over me. “The star of the evening finally arrives. Did you enjoy yourself, Aurelia? All that cheering, all those flowers? Being treated like a princess for once in your life?” Her words were like poisoned honey—sweet on the surface, venomous und