"It's been five months! *Five months!* And not a single word from His Lordship!"
The voice rang sharply through the sacred hall, a vast and solemn chamber of stained glass, towering pillars, and black banners draped from vaulted ceilings. At the center, on a throne of steel and stone, sat a woman with long green hair streaked by striking white strands, her knuckles pale as she gripped the edge of the armrest.
Duchess Sapphira's eyes were calm, but her posture betrayed the storm beneath. For five long months, she had journeyed to Eden again and again, seeking answers, seeking him, but Asher remained beyond her reach.
