Chapter 461 - Lyan's Gut Feeling (End)

Belle's emerald gown whispered along a marble corridor still pitted by stray arrows, the fabric sliding over stone in a hushed cadence that matched the soft hum of half-remembered ballads drifting from the grand hall. Lanterns in crystal sconces cast halos on cracked plaster, and each glow shimmered across the gown's satin folds, sending emerald ripples along the floor like silent waves. Around her, nobles in hastily polished armor drifted like hungry moths toward whatever decanter promised forgetfulness—faces flushed, laughter frayed at the edges, the night's joy already turning brittle.