Genevieve's POV
The heavy stone room finally fell into a profound, heavy silence.
The suffocating tension that had filled the air for hours seemed to bleed out the moment the men finally walked away.
Rhydor had been the first to leave, but only because Azura had quietly asked him to go.
I could see the painful reluctance burning deep inside his eyes as he hesitated.
His large hands stayed clenched tightly by his sides, his knuckles turning white, and he lingered for a long, agonizing moment just staring down at her pale face before he finally turned on his heel and walked out the door.
He respected her wishes.
I knew him well enough to realize that submitting to her request was the only way he could ever hope to get close to her frozen heart again.
But the Dragon King, however, had been an entirely different story.
He had stood in the center of the room like a man who actually owned the entire castle, his posture rigid and commanding.
