Synopsis

The weight of loss, long suppressed, finally descended upon her. Catherine was haunted by the death of Leo, a consequence of the coup, and the grief she carried for him resurfaced with painful intensity. The revelation of Peter’s role in Leo's demise, coupled with the horrifying truth that he had murdered a noble, ignited a cold fury within her. She confined him to his apartments, leaving him only with the silent company of his mother's preserved form.