Celeste POV
I’m not as surprised as my friend might be by these revelations. It’s always been this way with kingdoms like these—places blessed with rich lands and vibrant beauty, yet cursed with men who taint what should be sacred. Their corruption seeps into the roots, choking the life from the soil that sustains them. But now, I stand on the precipice of something new, ready to do what needs to be done.
This time will be different, I remind myself, glancing at the faces around me, stern and unyielding. They don’t realize it yet, but I’m about to assist my mate in freeing his people from their own haughty, stubborn, and selfish ways. I’ve seen this before—heard stories from my great-great-grandfather’s time when he did the same for our kingdom. He fought against the decay from within, a
