The morning was still young; light barely filtered through the palace’s tall, ornate windows.
The aftermath of the noble gathering still hung in the air — a heavy, tired silence broken only by the faint clatter of distant maids tidying up from the night before.
Lucy, however, was wide awake — and had been for hours. Her heart thudded against her chest as she strode through the dim halls, her satin slippers whispering against the floor. She wore a pale lavender gown, simple yet flattering, her hair twisted into a loose braid.
Her fingers nervously fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve as she approached the grand double doors of Leander’s private chamber.
Two guards stood posted, as rigid.
"I want to see the king," Lucy said.
"You can't, Lady Lucy," one of the guards replies with a s
