The Hidden Library remained quiet long after the secret chamber had been sealed once more.
King Aldren stood motionless before the ancient bookshelf, his fingers resting lightly on the weathered oak.
Neither he nor Evadne spoke.
Some discoveries demanded silence.
Others demanded time.
Finally, the King turned away.
“There is something else I wish to show you.”
He picked up a lantern from the nearby table and began walking deeper into the library.
Unlike the grand shelves filled with books and maps, this passage narrowed into a corridor lined with portraits.
Kings.
Queens.
Princes.
Princesses.
Every ruler of House Vane stared down from gilded frames, each face carrying the burden of a different generation.
Evadne admired each painting as they passed.
Some kings looked fierce.
