The Rule
He slid the ring onto her, whispering words that only she could hear.
“For the world may turn and time may burn, but you, Inayat, will remain my only constant.”
The hall burst into applause.
Petals fell from above — dozens of baskets released at once by hidden hands. Pink, ivory, lavender, marigold — each flake of flower catching the light as it danced downward. Inayat looked up instinctively, her eyes widening at the sudden rain of color and petals. A laugh escaped her lips, the kind that bubbled out like a child’s joy.