Queen Mother POV
Myra sat beside me in the carriage, hugging her little wolf plush to her chest. Normally she chattered the whole way home about her drawings, her lessons, or any new friends she made. But today, she was quiet. The silence pressed heavier than her words ever could.
I studied her reflection in the glass. “Why so quiet, Myra?” I asked gently. “Did something happen at school?”
She didn’t answer. Just turned her head away. I waited, patient at first, but the sound of her small sigh made my heart prickle.
“Myra.”
She looked up, and tears shone in her eyes. “I don’t want you to pick me up anymore.”
I blinked, sure I’d misheard. “What did you say?”
“You made Auntie sad.” Her lip trembled. “You said mean things. I don’t like when you’re mean.”
I froze. Auntie. The word sank
