The announcement was made the following afternoon.
Selene stood before the assembled court. Nobles. Guards. Servants. Everyone gathered in the great hall to hear the Queen's declaration. The hall was massive, vaulted ceiling soaring overhead, sunlight streaming through stained glass windows and painting the floor in fractured colors. The air was thick with anticipation, bodies packed shoulder to shoulder, the scent of perfume and sweat and nervous energy overwhelming.
Her heart pounded. This was it. The performance. The trap. The beginning of the end. She could feel her pulse in her throat, in her wrists, in her temples. The suppression drug made everything sharper somehow—sounds too loud, colors too bright, her own heartbeat thundering in her ears.
"My lords and ladies," she began. Her voice carrying through the hall. Strong despite the tremor she felt underneath. "I stand before you today to make an announcement that will shape the future of our kingdom."
