"This is it."
Florian exhaled slowly, straightening his posture. At long last, the final duke had arrived, and with that, they could all finally return to the cool, shaded halls of Diamond Palace—away from the blinding sun and the growing weight of ceremony.
Out of all the carriages that had passed through the palace gates, this one stood apart—sleek, immaculate, and adorned with silver accents that gleamed beneath the light. The sigil of the Skyshroud family, an elegant depiction of a crescent moon cradled in clouds, sat proudly atop the roof like a crown.
It was the most ornate of them all.
Florian's chest rose with anticipation as he stared at the approaching carriage. He had been looking forward to this meeting—not out of duty, but out of genuine curiosity. This duke was different. Unique.
'Not like the others. Not like the ones who leered or stared too long.'
