Selena.
Kael was the first to speak when I turned to leave their chamber, his voice carrying the quiet weight of someone who had been waiting longer than he wished to admit.
"You are leaving so soon?" he asked.
There was no accusation in the words, only the faint restraint of disappointment shaped carefully so it would not resemble a complaint.
"I have duties to attend to," I replied.
Kael exhaled slowly, the tension in his shoulders loosening in a way that told me how deeply my absence affected him despite the control he tried to maintain.
"You should not carry palace duties alone," Ronan added from where he stood near the window.
The statement carried the protective tone of a man who believed separation itself was a kind of danger.
I stepped closer to them, allowing the silence to settle before answering.
"I am not alone."
The words were calm, almost ceremonial in their certainty.
