Chapter 52 Wedding

• Dawn broke over the castle like a promise of endings, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold that reminded me of blood and fire. I stood at my window, watching servants scurry across the courtyard with last-minute preparations, their movements quick and efficient despite the early hour.
• Today, I would marry Prince Aldric Thornfield and become queen of two kingdoms. Today, I would bind myself to a man I respected but didn't love, while the man I loved watched from the shadows. Today, I would finally become the weapon my father had always intended me to be.
• "You look beautiful," Lydia said from behind me, though her voice carried none of its usual warmth. Our friendship had grown strained since her betrayal was revealed, but she'd remained as my lady-in-waiting out of some twisted sense of duty.