“Miss Laurel left with her maid, Sarah to tour the city,” Chasel told him and Adolph frowned. He had seen Sam and Lynn still on the castle grounds. Chasel huffed, “While I’m sure they’ll be fine in the Imperial City, I wish she would have taken her escort.”Adolph chuckled and left Chasel. He lifted the hood attached to his vest over his head and left the palace with a few nods to the guards. The road into the Imperial City had been cleaned, but the flowers still littered the lower streets and colored the air with a soft floral scent. It was pleasant enough and made him remember that he should go take a look at the orchard the late luna had established. With any luck, it hadn’t fallen too far into disrepair and could be used to continue producing food for the army and whoever else needed it. He sighed. It was such a tragedy that he had never met his daughter-in-law. Based on her efforts, she had been such a bright young woman. He hoped his lecture had settled in Basil’s mind, and t

After leaving the minister’s office, Laurel threw herself into her work. If she kept busy, she wouldn’t have time to worry about Adolph, mates, or anything else.Basil and Delia's wedding was coming up, so the entire castle was alive with movement. Sarah had been called from Laurel’s side to help due to the staffing shortage. Tina’s voice, shouting orders, echoed down the luxurious hallways of the castle as servants scrambled to put up decorations everywhere. The air was thick with the scent of lilies and roses.The sight of it made her sick. Every newly shined candelabra and polished piece of silverware made her want to run back to her room and avoid the festivities altogether. Basil's attention to this wedding made her and Basil’s wedding looked like a joke. Roses were everywhere on the palace grounds for Delia, yet the only roses in Laura’s wedding had been the four in her bouquet.She supposed that was the difference between a marked mate and a true mate.She stopped at the grand

It was the first time anyone in the palace had cared enough to ask why she was crying. This wasn’t the first time she had faced a moment like this, but Basil had never cared about her. His ministers had cared even less and usually went out of their way to embarrass her. Noblewomen often disrespected her without being scolded for it by Basil or anyone who should have been on her side.She had always had to defend herself; thus, Laura never cried because it was useless to cry. Crying was unbecoming of a luna, and no one cared about her feeling anyway. She had to handle every obstacle, every setback, and every difficulty on her own and with all the grace of her station. She knew that and that in the back of her mind, Laura was trying to pull it together, but it had been so long since she’d been Laura.She was Laurel now. Hadn’t she committed to it? Hadn’t she committed to being just a young girl born on the border?Seeing Adolph shouldn’t have made her burst into tears, but it seemed tha

She woke up the day of the wedding and took a deep breath. She didn’t want to go, but she had promised to go with Adolph. She couldn’t back out. Based on the soft light coming through the window, she had woken up very early.She got out of bed and started to prepare everything she needed.Sarah entered the room quietly and stopped in the doorway, shocked. She curtsied politely.“Good morning, Miss Laurel. I’m surprised you woke up so early.”She smiled tensely, “I… figured it would take a while to get up to standard.”Sarah shook her head. “Not at all with your beauty! But there’s nothing wrong with a little extra preparation!”She chattered about the merits of thorough preparation and her happiness was infections.“…beside, Miss Delia deserves to be shown up on her wedding day!”Laurel gasped and looked at her. Sarah flushed with embarrassment.“What… do you mean? You don’t like her?”Sarah’s gaze turned cold with fury. Laurel had never seen her so upset.“That… woman is the reason

Laurel couldn't help herself from rolling her eyes at Basil and Delia, but she didn't expect Basil o Adolph to notice. After Basil and Delia walked away Adolph leaned towards her.“Do you hate Basil?”She wanted to tell the truth, but it wasn’t polite to speak ill of the son in front of a father, let alone at the son’s wedding.“I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Did I behave rudely?”“For a girl participating in a noble banquet for the first time, you behaved very well. I thought you were just rejecting me because you didn't want to be my partner, but now it seems there's also a dislike for my son.”Laurel swallowed and tried to keep calm. He didn’t know she was Laura. She’d done nothing to make him think so. He’d never even met Laura, yet she had to think of something to keep his probing eyes away from the truth.“… They tried to take my dress,” she said. “And ruined it.” Adolph was silent for a moment.“Do you feel that I am responsible for his arrogance and insolence? I have been away for