Chapter 31

Aurelia POV

The evening sun bled into shades of bruised violet beyond the tall, arched windows of my top-floor suite. A fire crackled in the wide hearth, casting long, golden tongues of light across the plush velvet furnishings, polished mahogany tables, and silk tapestries. Upon the sideboard sat a lavish spread of roasted game, wine, and warm bread, accompanied by folded gowns of slate blue and emerald wool. There was no sound of clanking iron, no smell of damp earth, and no visible guards stationed inside the chamber.

A soft knock sounded before the heavy oak doors swung inward, and Draven stepped into the room alone. He wore no armor, no sword at his hip, and no cloak of heavy fur. In his hands, he carried a leather-bound volume embossed with silver runic script alongside a small velvet box.

“The archives below hold the oldest histories of the Northern territories,” Draven said, his voice unusually low as he set the book gently on the table near the hear