The door of the carriage opened and the southern sun hit Caelan in the face like a public announcement.No northern palace had light like this. At home, sunlight came apologetically — thin and grey and low in the sky, like it wasn't sure it was wanted. Southern sunlight was something else entirely. It landed on everything it touched and claimed it, turned the palace walls from stone to gold, filled the courtyard with a warmth that felt, honestly, slightly aggressive.Caelan blinked once.Then he composed his face, took the footman's offered hand, and descended the carriage steps like he'd been a princess his whole life.The courtyard was full. Rows of southern palace guards in gold and crimson livery, standing at attention on both sides of the entrance path. Court officials. Attendants. A cluster of finely dressed nobles at a careful distance, arranged with the studied casualness of people who had absolutely positioned themselves to watch. The whole scene had the particular quality of
Last Updated : 2026-03-20 Read more