Esther’s POV
The palace had never been this bright.
Golden banners fluttered across the courtyard, musicians tuned lutes and violins, and trays of sugared fruit glimmered beneath the sunlight. All of it, the music, the laughter, the illusion, was for Sofia.
My daughter. My little girl who had somehow beaten a pack full of trained pups to win the junior archery competition.
I’d never seen her beam so hard in her life. Her smile looked like something pulled straight out of the moonlight. It was wild and pure, with not an ounce of fear left in it. She wore her victory medal around her neck like armor.
Nicholas had insisted on throwing a celebration. For morale, he’d said. For the pack, not for me.
When I caught him watching Sofia from across the square, eyes soft and bright in a way I’d
