Narrators POV…
The great hall sparkles with hundreds of candles, their golden light reflecting off crystal glasses and jeweled gowns. Princess Sophia's birthday celebration is the grandest event the castle has seen all year, with nobles from across the kingdom gathered to honor the future queen. Tapestries in royal blue and gold hang from the stone walls, and fresh flowers perfume the air with their sweet scent.
Janelle stands in the shadows near the servants' entrance, wearing her usual rough brown dress. The memory of her destroyed blue gown still stings like an open wound, the image of those silk ribbons scattered across her floor haunting her dreams.
