Chapter 84
Arden followed Calliope in an uncomfortable and heavy silence, the distance between the armory and the royal chambers feeling longer than usual. Calliope’s words kept replaying in Arden’s mind: To me, Arden is just Arden.
Once they reached the privacy of the Queen's personal office, Calliope closed the door and turned, her expression softening the moment the heavy oak clicked shut. She noticed the way Arden’s shoulders were set—stiff, defensive, and weary.
Arden stood by the desk, her gaze fixed on a point just past Calliope’s shoulder. She felt crestfallen, the sting of the words still fresh, yet a logical part of her brain was already trying to build a bridge. Calliope was a strategist; she knew how to gut a man like Douglas using his own prejudices against him. But knowing
