The sun dipped low over the Red Keep, casting a warm glow across the garden. Alysanna walked among the flowers with her ladies-in-waiting, her silver hair flowing freely, laughter echoing in the air. For once, she wasn’t the queen, weighed down by duty—she was just a girl enjoying the simplicity of the moment.

Meryn teased, “Your Grace, I do believe you’ve found the most beautiful roses.”

Alysanna smiled, bending to smell one. “I only enjoy their company.”

Rowena twirled a flower, laughing. “You deserve this, my queen. A moment to forget the crown.”

Alysanna looked at her friends, her heart light. “Sometimes, we need to forget who we are meant to be, just to remember who we are.”

In that moment, the world outside the garden felt far away, and for once, Alysanna felt free.