She looks up, dark eyes clearer than I've seen them in months. "The binding is gone," she says, wonder in her voice. "Completely gone."
"Are you all right?" I ask, studying her face for any lingering signs of pain or distress.
A small, genuine smile touches her lips. "I feel... light. Like I could float away."
I kneel before her, close enough to catch the scent of sunlight and honey that always clings to her skin. "Please don't," I say, matching her lightness. "The paperwork involved in recovering airborne royalty would be horrendous."
Her laugh—brief but real—hits me with all the force of summer sunlight. Without warning, she reaches for my hand, her fingers twining with mine. The simple contact, freely given, nearly undoes me.
Across the room, Yasar is regaining consciousness, pressing a hand to his temple as he slowly sits up. His usual composed expression is shattered, raw emotion visible for perhaps the first time since I've known him.
"Finally free," he says, his eyes moving from Nesilhan to me. "I imagine you're both relieved to be rid of my constant company." His gaze shifts to Elçin, who stands examining the soul bottle with unusual intensity. "Though I suspect our dear strategist will miss having such ready access to her favorite research subject."
"The binding?" I ask, ignoring his barbs.
Elçin holds up the soul bottle, which now shimmers with silver light alongside the faint gold of Aslan's essence. "Contained."
I watch the careful way she slips the bottle into her robes—a movement that seems deliberately casual, as if she doesn't want us looking too closely. Something isn't quite right, but Nesilhan's warm hand in mine takes precedence over any suspicion.
"Free," Nesilhan breathes, her voice filled with wonder. She flexes her shoulders, testing the absence of constraint. "Completely free."
"How do you feel?" I ask, studying her carefully.
"Light." A genuine smile touches her lips—one I haven't seen in far too long. "Like I could actually breathe for the first time in months."
Relief crashes through me so powerfully that my shadows flare outward before I rein them back in. "Good. That's—" I pause, struggling with words that don't come naturally. "I'm glad."
Her hand finds mine, fingers intertwining with a warmth that's freely given. "Thank you. For not leaving me alone in there."
"I wanted to stay," I admit. "Elçin was right to force me out, but I wanted to stay."
"I know." Her dark eyes hold mine with an intimacy that speaks of everything we've survived together. "That's why I told you to go. Because you would have, and it might have killed all three of us."
I squeeze her hand gently. "We should have the court healer check you both."
"Later," she says, her expression shifting. Something flickers across her face—pain, determination, and something else I can't quite identify. "Kaan, I need to do something. Now that the binding is broken, now that I can move freely..." She pauses, choosing her words carefully. "I need to see my father. To negotiate a truce."
The request catches me off guard. "What?"
"I need to meet with him," she says, her voice steady despite the emotion I can see building behind her eyes. "There's something I need to know. Something I need to see with my own eyes."
"Your father will never honor a truce," I argue, though I already know I'll give her whatever she asks. "Even under political protection, it's too dangerous."
"I know the risks," she replies. "But I have to do this. I need answers, Kaan. About my family. About my sister."
"You need to see her," I say slowly. "To know if it's really Solene."
"I don't know for certain," Nesilhan admits. "But I need to find out. I need to see her face. I need to know if my father lied about her death the same way he's lied about everything else."
I study her for a long moment, admiration mingling with fear for her safety. "It's dangerous," I say finally.
"Everything worth doing is dangerous," she replies, echoing words I've spoken to her long ago. "You taught me that."
Her free hand comes to rest on my cheek, a gesture of intimacy. "I need to know, Kaan. I need to see if the sister I was told was dead is actually alive and fighting against us."
"Then I'm coming with you," I say, the decision made before I've fully considered it. "Not as your husband or your king, but as additional protection."
She nods. "A small delegation. To negotiate the truce."
