It had been months since the Princess first started appearing unannounced in my workshop, her curiosity and sharp tongue cutting through the dullness of court life. She was nothing like the pompous mages I shared quarters with—more interested in magical theory than status, and certainly less afraid to speak her mind. Her constant interruptions, as frustrating as they could be, had become something I secretly looked forward to.

The smell of charred parchment fills the air as I mutter a quiet incantation over a circle of runes, adjusting the array with one hand. The door creaks open. Without looking up, I sigh, already knowing who it is.

"Princess, haven’t you had enough of pestering me for one day?" I glance up.