The room was dim even during the day.
The window had been covered with thick cloth to block out the light. Bowls of medicine sat on a low table, some half-empty, some untouched.
The smell inside was horrible, bitter herbs mixed with old blood, spoiled ointments, and something else underneath it all. Something foul and rotten that no incense could fully hide.
That smell belonged to Zara now.
A few months ago, she had still been proud.
She had still been beautiful.
She had still believed that Kian would eventually turn back and choose her, because what female in the world could compare to her once she put her mind to it?
Now she sat hunched on a low bed, fingers clutching the fur blanket so tightly the knuckles showed white through sickly skin.
Her face was hidden under a veil, but the veil could not hide everything.
