Moments later,

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The party had wound down late. The last guests had departed, the musicians packed away their instruments, and the great hall had fallen quiet, save for the soft clink of mugs as servants cleared the tables. Aria had slipped away to the quiet of the west veranda, where the air was cool and the stars hung low over the valley.

She leaned against the stone railing, watching the moon rise over the woods, her thoughts turning soft and slow. Everything felt so right - so solid, so exactly what she had wanted without even knowing it - and yet deep down, in the quiet place where her...