The palace was alive with murmurs by the time Selene and Kael returned through the northern gate. Rain dripped from their cloaks, soaking into the polished floors as they crossed the entry hall. Servants hurried past, exchanging anxious glances. Guards straightened as they recognized Selene, though their eyes lingered as if expecting a new crisis to emerge at any moment.
Kael handed his soaked cloak to an attendant. "Word travels fast. The council will know you visited the lower districts before the hour ends."
"They'll complain," Selene said. "They always do."
Kael huffed under his breath. "They complain because they fear anything they cannot control."
Selene didn't argue.
The envoy's words still echoed in her mind, not the threats, but the people's reactions. Their hunger for someone who saw them. Their exhaustion from carrying burdens the kingdom rarely acknowledged. They didn't want rebellion. They wanted relief.
And now she had promised it.
