Malvoria exhaled slowly, her hands tightening around the arms of her chair as she finally felt the lingering presence of her mother fade.
The silence was blissful.
For the first time since she had stepped out of her chambers, she could breathe without hearing relentless teasing about heirs, softening hearts, and adorable emotional growth.
She leaned back in her chair, rolling her shoulders, forcing herself to shake off the irritation that still clung to her like an unwanted cloak.
There were more important things to focus on.
Her eyes flickered toward the neatly stacked documents on her desk—reports, military updates, political proposals, and of course, the ever-growing issue of the rebels.
Malvoria clenched her jaw.
They were still a pain in her ass.
Despite the harsh example she had made of the last group, there were still whispers of unrest, still flickers of defiance that hadn't been entirely stamped out.
But she would deal with that later.
