Alina lay awake in the dark, staring at the canopy. The room was quiet. Austin wasn't there yet. He was always late now, busy preparing for the king.
Her thoughts drifted back to what the guard had told her about her mother. Strangely, the fear that had been suffocating her for days about the king's arrival was pushed aside.
The door opened and Austin came in earlier than usual. He looked exhausted. He, too, had been working tirelessly for the king's arrival.
He sat on the edge of the bed and began to remove his boots.
"You look troubled," he said.
She didn't answer, still thinking about her mother.
"The king," he continued, misreading her silence. "You're worried about tomorrow?"
She opened her mouth to correct him but then stopped herself. She didn't want to talk about her mother with him. So, she let him think what he wanted.
