SAGE
Silence settled over the room again.
I lay there, pinned by pain, pinned by truth, pinned by the consequences of every misstep I had made.
My mind worked even as my body weakened. The queen had lied to her children. Hendel had lied to his. The throne had been built on deceit, blood, jealousy, and hunger.
Even their own family was a lie.
A part of me wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it. Another part quietly tucked the information away. If I lived, I could use it.
If I died… then at least I would die knowing the full shape of the rot.
No point crying over spilled milk. Tears wouldn't save me. Information might.
My gaze shifted to Hendel. He stood close to the queen, calm, composed, hands loosely clasped behind his back as though he were attending a court meeting rather than overseeing my slow death.
I forced air into my lungs. "Why," I rasped, "are you okay with all this?"
He didn't answer. The queen did.
