Mirellie
I was fully dressed for the Founding Banquet.
The room around me was quiet in a rare, suspended way, as though even the estate itself was holding its breath. Servants and seamstresses had finally stepped back after hours of adjustments, last-minute corrections, and whispered urgency. Hannah was still absent after leaving hours ago to find out from Evander what my entrance will be like.
Evening light filtered in softly through the open window, catching on the fabric of my gown, the subtle gold detailing, and the way I now stood in the center of it all as though I belonged there.
I stood in front of the mirror. At first, I didn’t recognize the woman looking back at me.
The gown wasn’t restrictive the way I had feared. It was structured, elegant, and powerful in a way that didn
