The palace had never looked more alive.
From the first blush of dawn, servants moved like flowing rivers through the endless marble corridors, balancing silver trays, towering flower arrangements, polished candelabras, and bolts of embroidered fabric. Every staircase gleamed as though it had been carved that very morning. Every chandelier had been polished until it scattered fragments of sunlight across the ceilings like tiny stars.
Outside the palace gates, rows of royal banners fluttered proudly in the cool morning breeze.
The black banner of House Ravencrest.
The crimson crest of Duke Edward's family.
The silver banners of allied noble houses.
Even neighboring kingdoms had sent their standards ahead of their delegations.
Tonight wasn't merely another celebration.
It was the Royal Engagement Banquet.
The final grand gathering before the wedding.
The entire kingdom had been talking about it for weeks.
Inside the eastern kitchens, however...
