There was no mistaking it.
That gluttonous appetite for cold desserts, the trademark short red hair, and to top it all off, the phoenix creature perched lazily on her shoulder.
Raine Ashford.
Velren had seen her demolish bowls of frozen treats before, but seeing her do it in the middle of an opulent diplomatic summit? That was something else entirely. It was almost surreal—like spotting a wild animal in the middle of a royal court, utterly unfazed by its surroundings.
And yet, there she was, among the nobility in a flowing red dress, a color that only made her presence more striking. It wasn't an elegant gown dripping with embellishments like the other women at the summit wore, but rather something bold—form-fitting yet unrestrained, the kind of attire that hinted at a rebellious streak even in formal settings. The rich crimson fabric cascaded around her as she leaned forward, utterly absorbed in her dessert, a stark contrast to the rigid postures of the aristocrats around her.
