Princess Sapphire stepped out of her room, her thoughts unsettled. She wasn't sure what she needed—maybe conversation, maybe comfort—but her grandmother was the only person who came to mind, at least she didn't judge her.
As she wandered the halls, an odd tension seemed to cling to the air. The palace felt quieter than usual, the silence almost unnatural.
When she reached Bathsheba's chamber, she found it empty. Frowning, she paused a passing maid, who offered her a quick bow.
"Do you know where my grandmother is?" Sapphire asked.
She'd missed dinner—something her mother usually made a spectacle of—but the silence from her mother's end almost felt like approval. Maybe, just maybe, her mother had finally decided to let her live her life without meddling but she highly doubted that was the case.
"The Grand Queen is in His Majesty's study, Your Highness," the maid said, her voice steady but cautious.
