"My lady. Open the door. Please. You should not think too much about it."
Stella's voice trembled as she knocked again, her palm striking the wood harder this time.
Still, the door did not move. Lumina leaned her forehead against it, her fingers curled tightly around the edge of her sleeve.
Tears slid down her cheeks, dampening the collar of her nightwear.
Yes, she had agreed for him to get married but it shouldn't have happened in her absence.
Standing alone in this room, knowing another woman had taken her place even for a moment, made her chest ache in a way she could not stop.
The moment she had woken up again to an empty bed. That alone had told her everything.
Ashen never left her side. Never. Not even when duty called or when the court demanded him.
So when she reached out and touched cold sheets, fear had wrapped around her throat and refused to loosen.
