The bedchamber of the Moonlight palace was warm but yet cold. A cold wind blew into the chamber through the open windows, and the moonlight shone brightly inside, casting long, pale shadows across the floor. Azure and Valex slept at opposite edges of the bed, far away from each other, leaving a wide, empty space between them.
Suddenly, Valex's ears twitched. He opened his eyes slowly as he heard the distant sound of the palace gates being forced open. He raised his head, sat upright, and swung his legs down to the floor, sitting quietly at the edge of the mattress. Azure turned her body, looking at his broad silhouette in the dim light. A quiet panic gripped her chest as she thought, "Your Highness... his reach is getting so far that I cannot grasp him anymore."
