Darien
The kingdom looked like it belonged in a painting.
I stood at the balcony of the upper hall and watched the preparations unfold below, the courtyard transformed into something I barely recognized. Long tables draped in white linen stretched across the green lawn in rows, bordered by iron candelabras that would be lit once the sun dropped behind the western ridge. Banners bearing the lycan crest hung from the castle walls, deep blue fabric snapping in the warm breeze that still felt foreign against my skin after a lifetime of arctic wind. Flowers climbed trellises that hadn't existed a week ago, blooming in colors I hadn't known this land could produce. The kitchen staff moved between the tables with the organized chaos of people who had been told to prepare a feast for hundreds of
