The air inside Greta's tent hung heavy, damp with pain. The linen draped over her mattress was rumpled, twisted from restless hours. She tried to lift herself, but her face drained of color. Whatever she had endured with Duke Matthias the night before, it felt like she'd been dragged straight through hell. Every inch of her body screamed, numb to the point she couldn't even feel her own fingers. Her energy was gone, sucked dry, leaving her too weak to move, let alone climb out of bed.
Still, her eyes softened when they landed on the two small figures before her. Leon sat stiff-backed on a low wooden stool beside the bed, shoulders tense. Lucy curled against him, her face buried in her brother's arm, fighting sleep.
"You two…" Greta rasped, her voice hoarse but trying for warmth. "Did General Ligastraus and his soldiers treat you kindly?"
Leon nodded quickly. "They let us sleep in a real bed, gave us food … it felt like a blessing straight from God."
