Nicole’s POV
I glanced outside the window, watching as the early morning mist lingered over the grounds, cloaking everything in a soft, almost ethereal light. My fingers twisted the studded ring on my finger, an unconscious movement that seemed to calm the storm raging inside me, my nerves couldn’t settle. I was excited about the idea of being crowned queen—it was the honor of a lifetime—but it felt like a towering responsibility. I was terrified. What if I failed Nathan? What if I failed everyone?
I didn’t know the first thing about being a queen. Sure, I had seen royalty in movies, read about them in books, but this… this was real. This was about leading people, being their strength and support, embodying everything they needed in a leader. I felt small against that vision, dwarfed by
