[Lavinia's Pov—Imperial Palace—Dawnspire Wing—Lavinia's Chamber—continuation]
The air hung heavy between us, silence broken only by the restless crackle of the fireplace. My hands trembled as I clutched the parchment, the black ink seeming to bleed deeper into the page the longer I stared.
"...Wasted grain?" The words left me in a whisper, as though speaking them aloud might make them more real. My eyes skimmed the lines again, heart tightening. "They've found carriages full of spoiled grain and food? And… all within two days?"
My voice cracked, and I bit my lip. "But why? Why would there be wasted grain and food at all? We inspect every shipment, every storage…"
Osric's jaw flexed beside me, his shadow falling across the parchment as he leaned over my shoulder. The firelight caught the hard angles of his face, his expression carved sharp and merciless like a blade.
