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CHAPTER 103
~Author's POV~
Serissa didn't need to turn to confirm it. She felt it. The change in the air. The chill settled in the corners of the hallway. The sudden silence of even the maids down the hall.
A moment later, the deep, familiar cadence of her father's voice echoed again, closer this time.
"Face me when I speak to you."
Serissa turned slowly, her fingers clenching and unclenching.
And there he stood—King Apex Winter.
Cloaked in gold-trimmed royal black, his crown a subtle glint of iron and obsidian resting on his brow. His expression was unreadable as ever, regal and sharp.
One couldn't tell if he was furious, pleased or just watching.
Stella dropped into a deep, immediate curtsy beside her. Serissa inclined her head respectfully, eyes meeting her father's with careful calm.
"You seem… troubled," King Alaric said after a long pause, his voice deceptively quiet. "Was your mother not satisfactory company?"
