Jayden's POV
The palace corridors stretched endlessly before me, their polished marble surfaces reflecting the warm glow of crystal chandeliers overhead. Each step I took resonated through the silence, a rhythmic echo that seemed to match the thundering of my heart.
It was midday, and the summons had come for both Ebony and me. Father wanted to see us in his private study.
My mind kept circling back to the previous evening's dinner conversation. Ebony's words had carved themselves into my thoughts, refusing to let me find peace.
"Until the Council decides differently, could Jasmine remain here with us for a while?"
The question had hung in the air like smoke. Our parents hadn't given us a definitive response then. Father had promised they would consider it carefully, while Mother looked conflicted.
And I had sat there, barely able to draw breath through the crushing weight of possibility.
Now I was about to learn their decision.
