The palace slept under a velvet night.
The grand corridor that led to the throne room was empty, save for the soft echo of her bare feet against the polished stone. She had been summoned again. No bell this time. Just a guard with a single message: the princess wants you.
Her heart beat faster with every step she took. She knew the palace too well by now, every turn and hidden corner, every hour when it went silent like a held breath.
The throne room doors loomed ahead, heavy and tall, carved with golden vines and crests. She pushed them open slowly.
The room was dim. Only the torches along the walls flickered softly, lighting the massive throne at the center. The princess sat upon it, legs crossed, wearing nothing but a long sheer nightgown that pooled around her like water. A golden
