The guests had already started to fill up the Great Hall.
Henry Beaufort stood tall beside Queen Elizabeth, his expression carefully composed as they exchanged formal pleasantries. It had been years since they last spoke, and though the tension was not visible to the guests around them, it lingered in the air between them like an unspoken truth.
Meanwhile, Daniel Beaufort, crown prince of Alynthia—surveyed the Great Hall, his sharp golden yellow eyes scanning the growing crowd. The diplomatic smile on his face never wavered, but beneath it, his mind was racing.
Where is Elena?
He had been watching carefully since his arrival, expecting to see his younger sister among the attendees, but she was nowhere in sight.
The Great Hall was already filling up. Nobles from all over Asterin and beyond had arrived, dressed in elegant mourning attire in honour of the ceremony. The soft glow of silver lanterns flickered overhead, casting an ethereal light on
