Twilight painted the Moonlight Palace in shades of violet and silver as Queen Elena's procession approached the grand entrance. True to her word, the Thornvale monarch had arrived in just two days—a journey that should have been impossible by conventional means.
Queen Elysia stood at the top of the palace steps, her silver gown catching the last rays of sunlight. Captain Diana flanked her right side, while Princess Lyra stood to her left, both women rigid with formal posture that barely concealed their anxiety.
'Three years since Thornvale royalty last graced these steps,' Elysia thought, her face a careful mask of diplomatic cordiality. 'And that visit ended with drawn blades and broken treaties.'
