WINTER

After three more days of waiting, the night of the party finally arrived—the night that would officially seal our bond, our marriage.

The air felt tight around me, taut as a rope winding closer no matter how many steady breaths I drew. And the tension clung to my skin like something alive.

Eira and the other maids had been preparing me since sunset. They bathed me, dressed me, and then the stylist—someone I never expected Valtor himself would personally choose for me—took ...