The grand hall was a sea of velvet and gold, its high-arched ceilings catching the shimmer of countless chandeliers. Banners of the royal crest hung like sacred tapestries, their threads whispering of old triumphs and unbroken lineage. Nobles of every great house lined the polished marble floor, their jeweled garments gleaming as though the very stars had descended upon them.
Whispers rippled through the assembly, words cloaked in silk but edged with steel. "The heir is to be announced… and it is a woman." Some voices trembled with disbelief, others with delight. A few smiled slyly, as though already calculating how best to align themselves with this rising star.
Then, as the moment of coronation approached just as silence began to settle like solemn prayer the great doors groaned open.
A figure stood framed by the golden light spilling from the corridor.
It was the Duchess Seraphine.
