Chapter 265
Velesia
I slide off the bed, the movement silent, practiced. The morning light, pale and hesitant, filters through the window and falls across the sleeping form of His Highness. It catches the gold of his hair, the relaxed line of his shoulder.
For a moment, I just stand there, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest.
I sigh. The sound is too loud in the quiet room.
The feeling is a familiar ache by now, settled deep behind my ribs. Longing.A quiet, desperate envy toward the others, who can reach for him without chains.
But I am a Coilsong.
Our purpose is etched in bone and blood and centuries of oath-keeping: We protect royalty. We are the shield in the shadow, the strike from the dark. Our loyalty is our identity. These softer, messier feelings I've let myself develop… they are a luxury my lineage cannot afford. An indiscipline.
