Right at that moment, a sharp knock hit the main chamber door from outside with a loud, insistent, and impossible-to-ignore noise.
Mary flinched. Her heart still hammered from the earlier revelation, and though she wanted to hear more, duty dragged her back to the present.
"I'll see to it," she said, bowing before turning towards the door.
As she hurried away, Kyren's voice followed her—animated now, urging Elis to explain more about the soulmate magic—but the princess consort's reply faded into a blur as distance swallowed the sound.
Mary quickened her steps and opened the door.
To her surprise, the man standing there was not who she expected.
For a fleeting moment before opening, she thought it might be Garin, the knight who occasionally visited the princess consort. But it wasn't him.
"Sir Navin!" Mary's eyes widened in shock.
"His Highness the Grand Duke and Rafael are here, aren't they?" Eric, who stood tall, asked bluntly, offering no greeting.
