The palace was alive with frantic energy that evening. Maids in crisp uniforms hurried through the wide hallways carrying fresh linens, silver polish, and towering arrangements of white roses and lilies. Their footsteps echoed off the marble floors as they darted in and out of the grand ballroom, adjusting crystal chandeliers, fluffing velvet drapes, and setting long tables with the finest gold rimmed china. The royal annual ball was one of the biggest events on the calendar, and everything had to be flawless. Gardeners worked outside under strings of lanterns, trimming hedges into perfect shapes while security teams did final sweeps of the grounds.

Five years had changed a lot...