The throne room was alive with the sounds of court. Advisors spoke in low, hurried voices, messengers darted in and out of the tall double doors, and the faint hum of whispers from the gathered crowd filled the air. The weight of the moment pressed down on me, but for the first time, I didn’t feel crushed by it. Instead, I felt steady. Grounded. Ready.
I adjusted the silver circlet on my head, a subtle but significant mark of my position as co-ruler of Verauno. It wasn’t a crown—that was still Asher’s to wear—but it was a symbol of something greater. A partnership. A promise.
Asher sat beside me, his presence calm but commanding. His dark eyes scanned the room, his sharp mind clearly working through the petitions and issues brought before us. He had always carried himself like a king, bu
