Aurelia returned to the chamber alone.
The heavy doors closed behind her with a sound that echoed too loudly in the vast room, as though the palace itself had noticed her mood and chosen to amplify it.
The air inside was cool despite the desert heat outside, the black stone walls swallowing warmth and sound alike. High above, iron chandeliers hung unlit, their chains clinking softly as the evening wind slipped through narrow windows.
She took three steps forward before she saw them.
The bags.
Packed.
Neatly arranged along the wall beneath one of the tall windows, leather straps buckled tight, cloaks folded with military precision.
Even her belongings ... few as they were,had been arranged carefully, as if the decision had been made without her input.
Aurelia stopped.
Her chest tightened in a way she did not like.
"So we're leaving," she murmured.
But why was she feeling sad that they were leaving this place?
