When the long, heavy evening finally drew to an end and everyone withdrew to the guest rooms that had been prepared for them, the castle hallways fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the soft flickering of torches against the stone walls.
Isabelle stormed into her assigned room like a brewing storm, her shoes clicking sharply against the marble floors. The heavy wooden door slammed shut behind her, echoing her frustration into the emptiness.
Without even glancing at the lavish surroundings that had earlier dazzled her senses, she marched straight to the grand bed placed at the center of the room. Grabbing one of the fine, embroidered pillows, she pressed it against her face and released a long, curling scream of pure rage into its softness, the sound muffled but still soaked with
