The charity ball that evening transformed the Grand Atrium into a glittering palace of performance. Beneath the high stained-glass dome, chandeliers cast warm light across the marble floor, reflecting off polished silver and gold. Towering arrangements of white roses and flickering candles stood bet
RichardI found her at dawn.The halls were still, echoing with the kind of hush that only existed before the day remembered to be loud. Fog pressed against the windows, softening the sharp edges of the House, while the sky beyond the eastern wing began to bruise with the first hues of sunrise, rose
"You weren’t supposed to find that," he said softly. He didn’t sound angry. Just resigned.I didn’t look away. "Are you going to marry her?"He blinked once. "No.""You should," I said, setting the file down with deliberate care. I tried to sound steady, like I was thinking about logistics, strategy
I wasn’t supposed to find it.I was looking for a distraction, something to keep me from spiraling, something to busy my hands while I tried to convince myself I still had a reason to stay. My conversation with Richard kept replaying in my head, looping endlessly with no resolution, no peace. Part o
"Do you understand the impact of your presence here?" "Are you aware of how your proximity has affected the public's perception of the campaign?" "Do you believe your continued involvement helps or hinders the King’s work?"I answered each one with calm, deliberate precision. I had rehearsed this.
AmeliaThey brought her back quietly, but nothing about Elsa ever stayed quiet for long. Word had already begun to circulate before her car pulled up the front drive, whispered in the halls like rumor and prophecy rolled into one. Aides spoke her name as if it might summon her early, and by the time