Morning arrived beneath a sky of silver clouds.
The sun remained hidden.
A cold breeze swept across the gardens of Ashford Manor, carrying with it a strange stillness.
The manor had awakened early.
Servants moved quietly through the halls.
Fresh flowers decorated the entrance.
Candles were placed along the marble corridors.
No one spoke above a whisper.
It felt less like preparing for a celebration...
And more like preparing for history.
---
Liora stood before the mirror in her room.
She barely recognized the woman staring back.
Not because she looked different.
But because everything around her had changed.
Yesterday she had been the wife of a mysterious man.
Today...
She was expected to stand beside a king.
A knock sounded.
Mrs. Agnes entered carrying a long velvet box
