Ariella’s POV
I stood right beside the king, close enough to smell the sour panic rolling off him, my hand still lightly on his arm like I was the loyal mute little healer apprentice he thought I was.
The guard who’d burst in stayed on his knees, head bowed, breathing hard like he’d run the whole palace to get here.
My pulse was steady, but inside? My mind was already spinning back hours, back to that damp cave where everything had cracked wide open.
Hazel’s voice popped up in my head, cheeky as always.
‘Well, look at that. One little batch of spiked wine and the whole hall turned into a bar brawl. Pretty slick, Ari. We made the big bad king look like a clown on roller skates.’
I didn’t smile. ‘It’s not enough,’ I told her. ‘Not even close. He’s yet to have a taste of my vengeance
