You will sleep together

Time seemed to stretch into an eternity as I stood there, rooted to the spot near the buffet where the remnants of the feast lay untouched by my hand. The guests had dwindled, their numbers halved, as the echoes of laughter and conversation faded into the night and people where starting to leave.

Queen Zephara's words haunted me, a relentless refrain in my mind: "Lydia's perfect match is Aurelia Blackwell." I wanted nothing more than to vanish into the shadows, to escape the gilded cage that this castle had become.

I caught sight of Louise, her silhouette poised at the threshold of departure, and desperation lent speed to my steps. I reached her just as she was about to cross the point of no return.

"Sorry to say this, but you're going to have to stay at the castle because the king and queen have decided that you'll be living here from now on," she said, her voice devoid of the warmth.