Maze settled into the worn armchair, her eyes darting between Sakura and Matilda. The air was thick with tension, broken only by the gentle pulsing of Zafron's cocoon in the corner of the room.
"Tell me about Drakoria," Maze said, her voice steady despite her racing heart. "What really happened there?"
Matilda exchanged a glance with Sakura before taking a deep breath. "It didn't start in Drakoria," she began, her fingers twisting in her lap. "It started in Astoria. My husband, Blackthorn..." She paused, pain flickering across her features. "He sent his henchman, Gustavo, to kill Zafron."
Maze leaned forward, her brow furrowing. "Why would he do that?"
"Power. Control. Jealousy. The usual reasons," Matilda replied bitterly. "Gustavo wounded him badly – left him for dead, actually. But we managed to get him to Drakoria in time. The healers there..." She shook her head in wonder. "They saved his life."
