AYASHA'S POV
I was the first to arrive in the great hall. The massive doors groaned open, and I stepped into a space that felt more like a colosseum than a courtroom. Stone walls stretched up toward vaulted ceilings, and torches cast dancing shadows that made everything look alive and threatening.
The others filtered in behind me one by one. I barely recognized them. Pavati wore a silver brooch shaped like a wolf's head—the Bellengrave crest gleaming against her dark dress. Imara had a golden falcon pinned to her collar, the symbol of House Ireshi. Liana strutted in wearing deep purple silk with the crowned serpent of House Sedimo embroidered across her chest. Even Nisha looked different, though I couldn't place what had changed about her.
They all looked like they belonged here now. Like they'd found their place in this kingdom while I'd been running around begging for scraps.
