Chapter 1065

The morning began with damp grass and sunlight dripping through the trees like melting gold. The air was warm, thick with the perfume of blooming vines curling along the tree trunks, and birds whispered lazy songs into the silence. The scent of firewood, freshly baked roots, and crushed berries drifted over the clearing where the women moved slowly, lingering in each other's company, touch hanging between them like something sweet and unspoken. Rose stretched in front of the fire, her back arched deliberately, eyes half-lidded as she ran her fingers through her long, wild hair. Her tunic slipped off one shoulder, revealing a smooth line of skin and the curve of her breast as she reached for a fruit from the basket.