Chapter 159: Filling Voids

Days in Haverbroks turned into weeks, each one dragging by like a hungover ox. The town, once a place of cheerful chatter and bustling markets, had become shrouded in a weird quiet, like everyone was holding their breath. Jane, ever the dutiful duchess, soldiered on. She doled out supplies, drilled the guards (who looked more scared than the sparrows Jane imagined were the enemy), and visited worried families, all the while feeling like a ghost haunting her own life. Hyacinth, her sunshine-y friend, tried to perk Jane up with stories of legendary heroes and epic comebacks. Olivia,usually a stick-in-the-mud proper lady, surprised Jane with unexpected moments of, well, not-being-Olivia. Like a shared cup of chamomile tea, which wasn't exactly wild dancing in the streets, but hey, progress. But Jane just couldn't shake this hollowness inside. Love, it turned out, was a double-edged sword. On the one hand,sparkly unicorns and butterflies. On the other hand, this gaping maw of worry that