The great hall of Eladoria's palace buzzed with the weight of diplomatic ceremony. Delegations from neighboring kingdoms had arrived throughout the morning, bearing gifts and carefully worded congratulations for the royal wedding. Banners of every allied house hung from the rafters, and the air was thick with incense, polished armor, and the low murmur of politics disguised as pleasantries.
Caspian stood rigid at the head of the receiving line, tall and imposing in his formal black-and-gold tunic. His dark hair was neatly combed, but his grey eyes stormy and complex betrayed the tension coiled beneath his composed exterior. Every muscle in his body felt like iron.
The Vermillion delegation approached.
Only the three elder brothers entered the hall —l Crown Prince Kael with his calm, kingly bearing, Prince Rael with his striking handsomeness, and Prince Theo with his scholarly poise. Their golden eyes swept the room with polite interest, but Leander was conspicuously absent.
