Six Months Later
Royal Palace, Norvale - Summer Evening
Emily stood on the palace balcony overlooking the city, watching the sunset paint Norvale's capital in shades of gold and rose. The same balcony where her mother had once stood. The same view her parents had loved.
But everything else had changed.
Six months since Marcus's arrest. Six months since she'd reclaimed her throne. Six months of the hardest, most rewarding work of her life.
Behind her, through the open balcony doors, she could hear voices....her advisors finishing the day's final meeting. Colonel Werner, now Chief of the Royal Guard. Major Kristoff, promoted to General and heading military reforms. Clara Mueller, who'd relocated to Norvale to serve as Chief Legal Counsel. And new faces....ministers she'd appointed based on merit rather than loyalty, experts who'd come out of hiding once Marcus's regime ended.
"Emily?" A gentle voice interrupted her thoughts.
