SKYE'S POV
The first bell of the Mid-Summer Festival rang just before sunset.
Its deep bronze note rolled across the valley like a warm tide, echoing from the fortress walls and drifting through the orchards, the workshops, and the crowded market square below. For a heartbeat, everything in Nighthaven seemed to pause. Then the second bell followed, brighter and higher, and the kingdom erupted into life.
Laughter rose from the lower streets. Children shrieked with excitement. Somewhere near the fountain, a lute struck its first lively chord.
I stood at the tall window of our chambers, watching the golden light spill across the valley.
The banners were beautiful.
Crimson, forest green, and deep gold streamed from the battlements, catching the evening wind like flames. Lanterns had alr
