The grand ballroom of the palace was lit up with golden chandeliers, the soft glow casting a warm light over the sea of guests dressed in their finest attire.
The air buzzed with conversation, laughter, and the clinking of champagne glasses. Everywhere I looked, there were smiles and warm exchanges, but inside, I felt like I was being pulled in a hundred different directions.
I smoothed the fabric of my dress—a deep emerald green that matched my eyes—and took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. Tonight was a night of diplomacy, a formal event that required Cassian and me to present a united front. We were supposed to be the perfect royal couple, the very picture of elegance and love.
The problem was that our reality was far from that picture.
Cassian had been distant, as us
