The guard had barely finished unlocking the cell door when Leandra stepped inside.
There was no parade of attendants, no royal escort—just the Grand Princess herself, her cloak still travel-stained and her eyes sharp from lack of sleep. She waved off the guards before they could announce her name.
"Leave us," she said, and they obeyed.
The door closed behind her with a solid clang. For a moment, the two women only stared at each other; the princess standing tall, the queen sitting on the narrow bed, her back straight but her eyes rimmed with exhaustion.
Leandra's gaze swept the room, taking in the chains hanging from the wall, the simple cot, the iron bowl in the corner. Her jaw tightened.
"They've kept you like a criminal," she said quietly. "I'll see that ends."
Giselle rose slowly, dipping her head in respect. "Don't trouble yourself. They already believe what they want to."
