47: WHAT IS HAPPENING?

Zara had expected to wake up with hatred in her heart. 

For weeks, her emotions had been a storm, violent, unpredictable, impossible to control. But this morning felt different. There was no anger burning beneath her skin, no sickening pull from the love bind spell forcing her into feelings that weren't her own. She sat by the window, fingers curled around the silk drapes, staring out at the vast kingdom she once ruled alone. 

The morning sun bathed the palace in soft gold, casting long shadows against the stone pathways. The banners of Calithea fluttered gently in the breeze, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Zara felt… free. 

And yet, something in her chest felt hollow.