The palace was quieter in the morning.
Not hushed. Not solemn. Just… slower. As if it, too, was recovering from something tender.
Elara stood on the balcony outside her guest chamber, the breeze lifting strands of her hair. Below, the gardens shimmered in soft gold, and somewhere beyond them, the city pulsed with life.
Morning in Vidalia didn’t simply arrive — it unfurled. The light moved like a living thing, stretching across the stone railing in slow, deliberate ribbons. Elara rested her palms against the cool surface, letting the warmth gather in her chest. The realm felt different today. Not brighter. Not louder. Just… aware. As if it had been waiting for her to wake.
She hadn’t slept much.
Not because of the kiss.
Because of everything it meant.
A knock at the door pulled her b
