~Katrina~
The morning started off peacefully. The king didn't want to leave, but duty called. He had to return to his office to attend to matters of the state.
After he left, I took my bath and had breakfast with the women downstairs. We ate quietly, a soft kind of joy hanging in the air. When we were done, I began preparing for the upcoming event.
"The Ministers' wives will come after the palace women, right?" Marissa asked. She was sitting beside me, taking notes carefully as we talked.
"Yes, Marissa," I replied, watching her scribble down the details. We were seated in the courtyard with the other women. They all looked brighter than the last time I saw them. The pain of Mother's death had touched us all, but little by little, we were finding our strength again.
"Is that all?" she asked.
