The castle’s grand study, adorned with ancient maps and relics, bore silent witness to the weight of Lord James’s thoughts. The morning sun filtered through the stained-glass windows, casting fragmented rainbows across the ornate wooden furniture. A serene quietude enveloped the room, interrupted only by the occasional rustle of parchment as Lord James reviewed the contents of his mother’s letter.
The letter, now slightly crumpled from repeated readings, had been a source of both comfort and concern. His mother’s elegant script, though faded with time, carried a resonance that transcended the mere words on paper. Each line seemed imbued with a wisdom that was both profound and haunting. The letter spoke of legacy, responsibility, and the weight of leadership—a legacy Lord James was now bound to uphold.