Daisy cradled her swollen belly, the weight nestled between her ribs a constant reminder of the discord blooming within her like a poisonous vine. Every tremor that rippled beneath her fingertips felt like a silent accusation, a question her heart dared not to voice. Lear, once her sun and moon, now cast a chilling shadow across her days.
The seeds of suspicion had blossomed during their last moonlit walk, the air thick with an unspoken tension. His words, once honeyed whispers, now held the tang of secrets, leaving gaps where truths should have been. He spoke of courtly matters, of distant skirmishes and treaties signed, but his gaze wandered, a skittish bird seeking refuge from unseen storms.
