It was a slow march, accompanied by the poignant notes of a lone violin. I kept my eyes firmly trained on the plush red carpet in front of me, wildly hoping my feet didn't catch on the trailing hem of my dress.

The crowd was silent, standing at the edges of the carpet, making some sort of aisle. I could almost hear Lucas's voice in my head, telling me to raise my head.

I did, surreptitiously taking in the details of the room. It was rightly called the Great Hall, I thought. Much like the ...