I was never his servant—I was his wife by oath. I had every right to refuse.
“If you are late, then rise quickly,” I sent in reply.
He asked again, What shall I wear to the gathering today?
“Choose whatever suits you. They are in the cedar chest,” I answered.
“But I cannot find—”
At that moment, a physician called me to assist with an urgent case, so I cut the link short. “I must attend my duties. Find it yourself.”
Not long after, his voice pressed again into my mind. The shirts are wrinkled. Have you not pressed them? I cannot appear before the council like this.
Then came another complaint: And no meal has been prepared?
Before I could respond, the chief doctor summoned me to his chamber. “Liora,” he said warmly, “your strength has returned. The family elders speak highly of you. The Don wishes to discuss advanced training in the northern territories.”
I had once declined such an opportunity, believing I would soon bear Darian’s heir and remain within the estate. But that dream had crumbled like dry leaves under frost. Building a family with him no longer felt like a sacred path—it felt hollow. Staying by his side seemed not only futile but dangerous to my own ambitions.