THIRD PERSON POVTHE HIGH REALMWith Aveline gone, the palace sat heavy and hollow, like a great beast that had swallowed something precious and had not yet realized the cost. The guards walked the halls in uneasy silence. Servants whispered in corners. The air felt thick and cold, as if grief itself clung to the walls.Inside the Queen’s private solar, however, the quiet did not exist.Lysandra lifted a crystal goblet filled with deep ruby wine, the liquid glimmering like blood under the candlelight. She held it toward her daughter with a satisfied curl of her lips.“To the fall of the High Realm’s most beloved princess,” she said, each word dripping with delight.Seraphine laughed, a sharp, brittle sound that cut the air. She clinked her glass against her mother’s, eyes bright with triumph. “To the beginning of our reign.”They drank.Seraphine sprawled back in her velvet chair, one leg draped over the other, her gown shimmering in soft shades of rose gold and cream. She looked brea
Last Updated : 2025-12-03 Read more