Maelina suddenly stood.
She began pacing with one hand on her mouth, the other gripping her elbow.
"This is worse," she muttered under her breath. "It's even worse than we assumed."
Eliora rose too, unsettled by the tension rolling off her.
"Worse how?" she asked. "Why does it feel like everyone knows pieces of this curse except me?"
Maelina kept pacing.
"The curse…" she murmured. "If he's fully integrated…"
She stopped abruptly and turned to Eliora, then asked, "You asked me why no one is telling you the truth?"
"Yes," Eliora replied, frustration creeping into her voice.
Maelina's expression softened slightly.
"I told you during your lessons," she reminded her gently. "Ask the King yourself."
"You did," she admitted. "But I thought you were just avoiding details."
Maelina shook her head.
"We truly don't know much about the curse. Not the origin or its mechanics. We only know of its effects."
She stepped closer.
