GRACE
“I chose Ulric,” I said. “And I stand by that.”
An elder leaned forward, his voice like wind through stone. “You would deny your destiny?”
“I would define it,” I replied.
Seraphine stepped down from her throne, her robes trailing behind her like smoke. “You are not just heir by blood. You are heir by merit. By sacrifice. By divine will.”
I met her gaze. “Then let the goddess speak for herself.”
A flicker of something passed through her eyes — not anger, not surprise. Something quieter. Calculating.
“You have until the thirtieth day,” she said. “Should you change your mind, the crown will be waiting.”
I nodded once. “I won’t.”
The chamber dimmed. The elders vanished in a shimmer of light, leaving me alone in the silence.
Outside, the wind had picked up.
I walked quickly, cl
