Chapter FORTY-NINE

Lusia I went to bed with a storm of emotions churning inside me, my mind replaying King Dane’s words over and over. The warmth he had shown, the way he had taken care of me, only to turn cold the moment I asked why—it left me confused, unsettled. I lay awake for what felt like hours, staring at the ceiling, before exhaustion finally pulled me under. I didn’t sleep for long. A tap. Then another. I groaned, rolling onto my side, hoping whoever it was would go away. But the tapping only became more insistent. It wasn’t a polite knock—it was rhythmic, precise, and unrelenting. “Wake up.” The deep, commanding voice jolted me upright. My sleepy eyes adjusted to the dim light. The room was still bathed in darkness, the moon barely beginning to retreat beyond the horizon. It was twilight. The only thing that made me aware of this was the distant sound of the birds chirping, and their wings flapping as they made their way into the purple sky. “Your Highness?” I called sleepily, rubbing my eyes.