Alinna's eyes fluttered open to unfamiliar luxury. A grand canopy stretched above her, its sheer curtains embroidered with silver threads that caught the morning light. Sunlight filtered through towering windows draped in rich velvet, bathing the chamber in a soft golden glow.
The air carried the faint scent of roses and polished cedar. Beneath her, the mattress was impossibly soft, layered with silk sheets and blankets finer than anything she had ever touched.
For a few seconds, she blinks blankly. Her thoughts were sluggish, trapped between dream and waking reality. The carved ceiling, the gilded furniture, the delicate chandelier hanging overhead, none of it made sense.
Then realization struck. Alinna jerked upright so suddenly the blankets slid from her shoulders. Her breath caught as panic flashed across her face, eyes darting wildly around the lavish chamber.
