The Lovers' Night ball was in full, glittering swing. Laughter and music filled the grand hall of Ravensdale Castle as couples danced beneath the romantic lanterns. Guests in elegant masks whispered and flirted, sampling the lavish snacks and sipping wine. The air was thick with the scent of roses, wine.
A well-dressed woman in a sleek black gown and bold rouge arrived late at the entrance. She moved with deliberate slowness, her dark half-mask shaped like a sleek raven hiding most of her face. She paused just inside the doors, tsk-tsking softly as she surveyed the festive scene.
"Such a quaint little attempt at grandeur," she murmured, voice dripping with disdain. "How charmingly provincial."
The guards at the entrance stepped forward politely but firmly. "Invitation, my lady?"
