The bells rang through the castle like war drums dressed in silk.
Each toll reverberated through the stone halls, shaking loose a thousand memories and binding the air with something thick—something electric. The scent of ancient incense, of burning myrrh and iron-rich blood, lingered in the corridors like a ghost. Every servant, every noble, every guard moved like a piece on a chessboard.
From across the realm, nobles arrived in gilded carriages draped in blood-red banners—some trimmed in ash-gray, others in gold thread, symbols of both alliance and ambition. The cobblestone courtyard swelled with the creak of wheels, the clatter of hooves, and the hush of whispers.
Servants in midnight livery moved with surgical grace, polishing candelabras until they shimmered like stars, unfurling b
