Alina woke in her west wing suite for the last time as Alina Ashworth. The morning light filtering through the curtains filled the room with a warm golden glow.
She lay perfectly still on the bed, letting the morning settle over her. To her surprise, she wasn't nervous, nor was her heart racing. Instead, she felt completely calm and relaxed. To her, it felt like arriving at her final destination after walking a long and difficult road for months.
A soft knock broke the silence in the room. Elspeth opened the door and stepped inside. She had arrived yesterday for the wedding, and was already dressed in her best dress. She looked at Alina and smiled, though her eyes were misty.
"You're awake," Elspeth said softly.
"I couldn't sleep," Alina replied, sitting up. "Neither could you?"
Elspeth let out a small laugh as she walked towards her and closed the door.
