“You weren’t just my cousin,” I said quietly. “You were…”
The word caught, but I forced it through.
“…you were my sister.”
The silence that followed didn’t answer me.
It didn’t need to.
I closed my eyes briefly, letting the reality of it settle fully instead of fighting it any longer. There was nothing left to hold onto here. Nothing left to fix. Only what remained.
Footsteps approached behind me, careful and measured, stopping just short of where I stood. I didn’t turn. I didn’t need to.
“Your majesty,” the doctor said quietly.
I released her hand slowly, the motion deliberate despite how much it went against instinct.
It didn’t feel right.
But staying wouldn’t change anything.
I wiped at my face once, quick and controlled, forcing everything back into something contained, some
