The moment she stepped out of the king's chamber and the heavy doors closed behind her, she felt as though the air itself had thinned, as though staying even one heartbeat longer might have undone her entirely.
A boy.
The word echoed painfully inside her mind, she moved swiftly through the corridor, boots striking stone with clipped urgency, ignoring the curious glances from passing attendants who wisely chose not to speak.
Her thoughts raced faster than her steps, she needed the only person within these palace walls who knew the truth of who she truly was.
Georgia.
The healer's wing was quieter than usual, the scent of crushed herbs and drying tinctures lingering heavily in the air. Valen pushed through the carved wooden doors without waiting to be announced.
Georgia stood near a long table lined with bowls of simmering remedies, sleeves rolled to her elbows, dark hair pulled back loosely as she sorted bundles of fresh leaves.
