Elara sensed someone approaching and turned.
Her breath caught slightly. Kaelen stopped a few steps away. For a moment neither spoke.
Two weeks of distance hung quietly between them.
"You came," Kaelen said softly. Elara gave a small smile. "My family were invited."
Kaelen nodded. "I'm glad you're here."
Darin stepped closer beside her. "We won't stay long."
Kaelen glanced at him but said nothing.
Instead he looked back at Elara.
"You look... "
"Elara!" The sharp voice cut through the moment.
All three of them turned.
Lyra approached across the courtyard, her elegant gown shimmering with every step.
Several nearby nobles watched with curiosity.
Lyra's smile was polite. But her eyes were cold.
"Well," she said, stopping before them.
"This is a surprise." Her gaze swept slowly over Elara.
"I didn't expect to see you here."
Serenya stepped forward politely. "We received an invitation."
Lyra's smile tightened slightly.
"Of course."
Her eyes returned to Elara.
"I suppose the palace doors are open to everyone tonight."
A few nobles nearby chuckled quietly.
Elara felt heat rise in her cheeks, but she kept her voice calm. "We're grateful to be included."
Lyra tilted her head. "How humble."
Kaelen's expression hardened. "That's enough, Lyra."
She turned toward him, smiling sweetly.
"I'm only welcoming our guests." But her eyes returned to Elara again.
"You must find this evening very exciting," she continued.
"After all… it's not every day a healer's daughter attends a royal engagement."
The surrounding nobles murmured again.
Darin stepped forward. "That's enough."
Lyra raised an eyebrow.
"And you are?"
"Her brother."
Lyra smiled faintly. "How protective."
Before the tension could grow further, Kaelen stepped between them.
"Lyra," he said firmly. "Go greet the other guests."
For a moment her smile faltered.
But she quickly recovered. "Of course."
As she passed Elara, she leaned closer and whispered quietly, "I do hope you enjoy the evening."
Then she walked away toward the palace steps.
The courtyard slowly returned to its hum of conversation.
Darin muttered under his breath. "I don't like her."
Serenya sighed softly. "She is about to become the future princess."
"That doesn't mean I have to like her."
Kaelen turned back to Elara. "I'm sorry about that."
Elara shrugged lightly.
"It's her engagement celebration. I suppose she's allowed to be territorial."
Kaelen frowned. "That's not an excuse."
Before Elara could reply, a trumpet suddenly sounded across the courtyard.
The musicians stopped playing.
A palace herald stepped forward onto the grand staircase.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced loudly,
"His Majesty King Aldric will now present the future of the royal house."
The crowd fell silent.
Kaelen looked at Elara one last time. "I have to go."
Elara nodded quietly. "Of course."
As he walked away toward the staircase, Elara couldn't shake the strange feeling in her chest.
Tonight was supposed to be a simple celebration.
But somehow it already felt like the beginning of something far more complicated.
The palace courtyard glittered with torchlight and music.
Nobles, soldiers, and citizens of Eldoria gathered beneath the towering marble balconies of the royal palace. Silk banners bearing the royal crest swayed gently in the evening breeze.
All eyes were fixed on the grand staircase.
At the top stood King Aldric, his crown catching the light of the torches. Beside him stood Prince Kaelen.
And beside the prince stood Lyra, daughter of General Lysender.
Her crimson gown shimmered like flame, its long sleeves embroidered with gold threads that marked her status among the nobility. She stood tall and confident, though the tightness in her fingers where they rested against Kaelen's arm betrayed the storm brewing inside her.
Below them, the gathered crowd waited.
Among them stood Elara, her heart beating faster than she liked to admit.
She had tried to stay toward the back with her family.
But even from a distance, she could see him clearly.
Kaelen.
The torches framed him in warm light, his royal attire making him look every bit the prince the kingdom believed him to be.
Yet Elara could not forget the boy who had climbed through her window and teased her beneath the stars.
The man on the staircase and the boy she knew felt like two different people.
A royal herald stepped forward and raised his voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced loudly,
"His Majesty King Aldric will now present the future of the royal house."
The courtyard fell completely silent.
King Aldric stepped forward. "My people," he began, his voice steady and commanding, "Eldoria has endured many trials in recent weeks. Yet tonight we celebrate unity, strength, and the future of our kingdom."
He gestured toward the two figures beside him.
"Tonight, I proudly announce the engagement of my son, Prince Kaelen, to the daughter of our loyal general, Lyra Lysender."
Applause erupted through the courtyard.
Nobles clapped politely while citizens cheered louder, excited by the promise of stability within the royal family.
Lyra lifted her chin proudly.
This was the moment she had imagined for days.
Yet as the cheers continued, she felt something strange beside her.
Kaelen had grown still.
His gaze had drifted away from the crowd.
Slowly… Toward the back of the gathering. Toward Elara.
Lyra followed his eyes. And there she was.
Standing quietly among the people.
Not dressed like a noble. Not adorned in jewels.
Yet somehow drawing the prince's attention even during his own engagement announcement.
Lyra's jaw tightened.
Her fingers curled slightly against Kaelen's sleeve.
Still, she forced a smile for the crowd.
The cheering slowly faded as King Aldric raised a hand for silence.
"Together," the king continued, "they will strengthen the bond between the crown and the protectors of our kingdom."
General Lysender stood proudly nearby, his expression firm but satisfied.
This alliance was everything he had worked toward.
But Kaelen barely heard the rest of his father's speech. His eyes had found Elara again.
For a brief moment, their gazes met.
Something unspoken passed between them.
A question. A possibility that now felt impossible.
Lyra noticed everything. Her smile became colder.
When the king finally finished speaking, another round of applause swept through the crowd.
The herald stepped forward again.
"Let the kingdom celebrate the future union of..."
A powerful sound shattered the night.
A sound powerful enough to shake the palace walls.
The cheering stopped instantly.
Heads snapped upward.
Another roar followed, louder this time, echoing across the palace courtyard.
Panic rippled through the crowd.
"What was that?!"
"Did you hear that?"
Guards rushed toward the palace gates as people turned looking confused and terrified.
Then someone shouted.
"Look!"
Beyond the outer palace gates stood a massive shadow beneath the moonlight.
Wings folded like mountains. Eyes glowing like molten gold.
The Varyndor.
Gasps spread across the courtyard.
General Lysender reacted immediately.
"Guards!" he barked, drawing his sword. "Form ranks! Archers forward!"
Soldiers rushed to obey, raising bows and spears as they advanced toward the gates.
But before they could charge...
"Stop!"
The command came from the staircase.
Prince Kaelen.
He stepped forward quickly, his voice sharp enough to halt the soldiers.
Lysender turned sharply. "Your Highness, that creature is dangerous."
"Do not attack it," Kaelen said firmly.
"It could destroy the palace!"
Kaelen shook his head. "No."
The Varyndor moved.
The massive creature stepped through the palace gates slowly, its claws scraping against stone.
Yet it showed no sign of aggression.
It simply walked forward.
The crowd retreated in fear.
But the creature did not chase them.
Instead… Its glowing eyes searched the courtyard.
Until they stopped. On Elara.
A strange chill ran down her spine.
The Varyndor took another step closer.
Darin immediately moved in front of his sister.
"Elara, stay behind me."
But the creature wasn't looking at Darin.
It was looking directly at her.
Then suddenly,
A faint light appeared around Elara's wrist.
She gasped softly.
The same place that had flickered with light before.
But this time it was stronger and brighter.
"Elara…" Serenya whispered in shock.
The light spread across her skin like silver fire.
Then her hair began glowing softly, strands lifting as if caught in an invisible wind.
The air around the courtyard changed.
Wind rushed through the space, whipping banners and cloaks wildly. People staggered back.
"What is happening?!" someone shouted.
The Varyndor lowered its massive head slightly.
Its glowing eyes locked with Elara's.
The wind grew stronger. The light around her wrist flared.
For a moment, the entire courtyard felt frozen in time.
Then suddenly, The Varyndor stepped backward.
Then it spread its enormous wings.
With a powerful beat, it launched into the night sky and disappeared beyond the palace walls.
The wind stopped instantly. The light vanished.
And Elara's body swayed weakly.
"Elara.. !"Her vision blurred.
Darkness rushed in..She collapsed. But before she could hit the ground,
Kaelen reached her first.
He caught her just as she fell, pulling her into his arms.
"Elara!" Darin rushed forward immediately.
"I've got her!" Kaelen said, lifting her carefully.
Elara lay unconscious against him.
Around them, the courtyard had fallen into stunned silence.
No one spoke. No one moved.
Every eye was fixed on the girl in the prince's arms.
And the place on her wrist where the mysterious light had appeared.
General Lysender's gaze darkened.
Lyra stood frozen beside the staircase.
Her fury burned hotter than ever.
And above them all, the night sky had gone eerily quiet.
As if the Varyndor's visit had only been the beginning.