The second rejection

The next day, after the festivities had died down, Lylie found herself wandering the halls of the palace, her steps light, but her mind a whirlwind. Everything had changed so quickly, and she still hadn't fully grasped the reality.

She was the queen, sitting beside Michael in the grand hall. The weight of the crown sat heavy on her head, but it was nothing compared to the burden of the strange new distance between her and her husband.

As evening fell, the palace grew quiet, the air thick with anticipation. Lylie was in her chambers, changing into something more fitting for the evening, when she felt a strange compulsion to go to Michael's room.

She wasn't sure why she was drawn there. Maybe it was the lingering tension, the way their worlds had collided in ways neither of them had expected.