The sky had turned to silk.
A gradient of violet and peach stretched across the heavens, casting its soft hues over the capital. At the heart of the empire, the Great Hall of Zenith glowed with lantern light and enchantments woven into every pane of glass. It was as though twilight had walked indoors—while all the people present in the entire capital patiently held their breaths to greet the new crown princess.
Every noble in the empire was present in the great hall. From the northern dukes to the desert-blooded marquesses of the south, all had gathered beneath the gilded domes to witness history unfold.
