The days leading up to the mating ceremony passed in a blur of velvet, silk, and anticipation, and though her heart was overwhelmed, Raya found herself surprised by something she never expected, something that, in its quiet way, chipped at the cold places that trauma had left buried deep inside her.
Queen Kaia.
She had grown up hearing stories of cruel mother-in-laws, of the cold glares, the subtle dismissals, the quiet rivalries hidden behind tight smiles and polite words. She expected judgment, even if veiled in courtesy, or a certain disapproval that she hadn’t come from royal blood, that she hadn’t been raised with grace and courtly etiquette. But instead… Queen Kaia gave her warmth.
Real warmth. The kind that felt like sunlight slipping through curtains at dawn. The kind that remin
