Ava
The morning sun spilled through the tall windows, catching on the gold trim of my chamber walls. I sat before the vanity while two of my maids fussed over the laces at my back, another smoothing the folds of my gown. Their chatter filled the room, the kind that usually made the dressing less tedious.
“…and the kitchen’s been buzzing since dawn,” one of them said, fastening the last ribbon. “All for the visitors.”
“Visitors?” I asked, raising a brow at her reflection in the mirror.
The youngest maid, her hands full of pins, gasped like she’d just given away a secret. “Oh—didn’t you hear, Your Grace? How could you not know?”
“Know what?” My voice was steady, though curiosity tugged hard at me.
She leaned in a little, whispering though the whole room could hear. “Your parents. Alpha
