Ariana’s POV
The gates opened before I reached them.
The guards had already seen me from a distance, and by the time I stepped onto the stone path leading into the royal grounds, they were standing in full attention. Their posture was formal, precise, and familiar in a way I hadn’t felt in months.
“Princess,” one of them said, lowering his head.
I acknowledged him with a small nod and continued walking.
Everything looked exactly the same as I remembered. The high walls, the wide paths, the quiet order that defined this place—it hadn’t changed. The royal pack still carried itself with the same calm strength, untouched by the kind of noise and unpredictability I had grown used to.
But as I walked further in, I became aware of something else.
Eyes.
People had already noticed.
Servant
