Page 108 of She Who Holds My Wrath

The silence presses in too tightly, my brain screaming at me with words I don’t want to hear. The sword rests against the bench where I left it, the ruby still faintly glowing with residual power. I can’t bring myself to touch it again, not right now anyway.

I exit through the doors and turn to one of the guards. “Can you place my sword in my chambers, please? It’s the one with the ruby.” The guard nods and I go to leave before glancing over my shoulder. “Just my chambers. Not mine and Korithax’s.”

He pauses, a small look of confusion flickering over his face before he schools his emotions and nods once.

The halls of Zeriavoss feel different today. Not hostile, just… watchful. Whispers follow me from every turn, sliding between pillars and rippling tapestries as I pass. Heads bow, eyes lift, footsteps hesitate. They know. Or at least they think they do.

Their king has returned. My chest tightens at the thought.

I don’t know where Korithax went after everything. I didn’t return to our chambers, I couldn’t. It didn’t feel like mine anymore. That room held a life I no longer recognised, no longer remembered. It held a life that didn’t belong to either of us anymore.

I follow instinct more than logic, letting my feet carry me through corridors I now know as well as my own heartbeat. Somewhere between the inner halls, a soft voice calls my name.

“Daisy?” A hand touches my shoulder.

I stop short, her familiar presence making my heart skip. “Lyvia,” I say, turning fully. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

She smiles softly. “I thought that might be the case.”

Her eyes flick over my face, lingering just a fraction too long, as if searching for something beneath the surface. Then, carefully⁠—

“Is it true?” she asks quietly. “That King Korithax has returned?”

The question hits harder than it should. Though, I’m not actually sure why, and it causes my body to stiffen. “Who told you that?”

As far as I was aware, only a handful of guards knew about his return, as well as my inner circle here at the castle. Even the other leaders, except Sariya and Elyistria, didn’t know he was back.

Lyvia blinks, clearly startled by my tone, but recovers almost instantly. “Oh—well. I was sent, actually.” She gestures vaguely upwards. “Someone higher up in Sovarith heard rumours spreading through the scribes. They wanted confirmation. And… well,” a small, apologetic smile spreads across her face, her lavender eyes sparkling, “given my friendship with you, they thought I’d be the least intrusive.”

I exhale slowly, the tension wracking my body easing just a notch. Of course. Sovarith thrives on knowledge. Their records need to be constantly updated, every event, every life, death… you name it, it’s there.

“He’s back,” I say quietly. “But he’s not ready to speak to anyone. Neither am I.”

Lyvia nods immediately. No surprise, no disappointment. Just understanding. “That makes sense,” she says gently, gesturing with her hands. “After everything.”

We fall into step together, our pace unhurried as we stroll through the halls together. The quiet between us isn’t uncomfortable, but it’s heavy with things neither of us can say aloud. I tell her the basics when my brain gets too loud in the silence—that Korithax has returned through means I don’t fully understand yet, that the bond is real, that he’s here but… changed.

“I don’t think he knows how to exist in this place anymore,” I admit softly as we near my old chambers. “Or maybe he just doesn’t know how to exist with me.”

Lyvia glances at me, her brow furrowing. “That doesn’t sound like him.”

“No,” I agree. “It doesn’t.”

We stop outside the chamber door. For a moment, neither of us move. Then Lyvia steps forwards and wraps her arms around me in a gentle, grounding hug. I freeze at first, then melt into it, clutching the fabric of her robes like an anchor.

“I’m glad you’re no longer alone in all of this,” she murmurs. “No matter how fractured things feel right now.”

“Thank you,” I whisper. “For being the one to do this.”

She pulls back, smoothing her expression into something professional once more. “I’ll tell the High Scribes that the rumours are true, but that both the King and Queen are not receiving visitors at this time.”

I offer her a grateful smile. “Thank you, Lyvia. And I’m proud of how far you’ve come.”

Her face lights up, her smile genuine. “Of course, Daisy. Thank you.”

She turns to leave just as I open the door. The moment it swings inwards, I feel it. Korithax is there. Standing near the far wall, arms crossed, smoke-like shadows coiling around him restlessly. His head snaps up sharply, and for once jarring heartbeat, his gaze isn’t on me. It’s on Lyvia.

Something flickers across his face. Confusion. A sharp, unsettling focus that sends a prickle of unease racing up my spine. His eyes narrow slightly, as if trying to see through her rather than at her.