As we began to eat, the ballroom slowly filled with guests being guided to their assigned tables. The volume in the room gradually increased as conversations resumed and chairs scraped against the floor. I caught snippets of discussion - diplomatic exchanges, old friends reconnecting, the inevitable analysis of the ceremony itself.
"The minister's words were quite progressive," I heard one Lycan noble comment to his companion.
"Did you see how the Queen's brother looked when they exchanged vows?" asked another guest. "I thought the man might actually cry."
I smiled to myself, focusing back on my food and on Theo beside me. The first course gave way to the second - roasted duck with a cherry reduction so complex I could taste layers of flavor with each bite. Wine flowed freely, though bo
