The morning after the training exercises dawned unusually quiet across the expansive estate. A soft, seamless blanket of fresh snow covered Bloodstone Manor, muting the typical sounds of bustling servants and marching guards. Thin wisps of gray smoke curled lazily from the stone chimneys as indoor hearths were stoked, spreading a comforting warmth throughout the grand residence.
Inside the kitchen, however, peaceful silence was entirely impossible to find. Cheerful laughter drifted through the air as cooks hurried between the massive iron ovens, checking on golden loaves of bread that filled the space with a rich, yeasty aroma. The rhythmic thumping of baking preparations gave the room a lively, heartbeat-like energy that contrasted sharply with the frozen world outside.
