Alicia sat at the edge of the massive bed, its frame a masterpiece of silver filigree, twisting and curling like vines frozen in time. The headboard was just as grand, deep sapphire velvet tufted beneath intricate carvings of wolves and roses, symbols she had yet to understand. Beneath her fingertips, the silk sheets whispered as she traced aimless patterns against their dark expanse, the fabric cool to the touch despite the warmth of the room.
She was waiting for Adrien.
The sound of running water drifted from the ensuite, a soft murmur against the suffocating silence that wrapped around her like a heavy cloak. The chamber was vast, a place of opulence, yet it felt almost too still, too perfect—like a scene frozen in time.
Impatience gnawed at her.