Chapter 39: Reversal of Fate
The night air was thick with the scent of burning incense and the low, thrumming energy of ancient magic. Eira sat on the edge of her bed, her hands trembling against the fabric of her ceremonial gown. It shimmered with threads of gold and garnet, as though stitched from the last rays of sunset. Mira stood silently behind her, adjusting the embroidered sash at Eira’s waist with a reverence that unsettled her.
Tonight was not just another trial. Not another courtly game of politics and performance.
Tonight was the rite.
“You said the selection was symbolic,” Eira murmured, her voice catching in her throat.
Mira paused. “It is. But symbols hold power in Velandria. More than you’ve been told.”
Eira turned, her heart pounding. “You knew all along?”
Mira look
