THIRD PERSON POV
The morning sun spilled lazily across the palace grounds, gliding the white stone corridors with a deceptive warmth, but inside the halls, warmth was the last thing anyone felt. Whispers shifted from chamber to chamber like restless snakes, servants bent low to murmur in corners, guards exchanged sidelong glances, and the air seemed heavier, charged with unspoken words.
They said the bond between Lyra and Darian was cracking.
The rumors were careful at first, ‘a concern here and an observation there,’ but by the time the palace bell struck mid-morning, they had teeth. It wasn’t just that Lyra and Darian had disagreed over a kiss two days ago; people swore they’d been pretending for years.
And if there was one thing the palace loved more than loyalty, it was a scandal.
