Chapter 49; My Lady

EDINA POV

I sat in the drawing room, my fingers tracing absent patterns on the arm of the chair. The fire crackled in the hearth, its warmth barely enough to chase away the cold tension that had settled over everything since the dinner. That vision, the glimpse of war, of destruction—it haunted me. I could still see the flames licking at the sky, the screams echoing in my ears. The Faeries, their presence unsettling, and the way they spoke of it all, like it was just another game, another battle in their endless lives. And Rhaenan—his smug face flashed in my mind, that moment when he had come to take me as tribute, like I was some prize to be handed over.

The door creaked open, and I stiffened. Speak of the devil. Rhaenan entered the room with that same cocky smile, his dark hair catching the glow of the firelight. His steps were light, almost predatory, and I couldn’t help but feel a chill run down my spine.

“Well, well,” he drawled, his voice dripping with humor. “The lady of the ho