Melania slowly blinked her eyes open, roused by the distant clamor, and realized she had dozed off in Loraline's room while waiting for her return. However, her lady-in-waiting was nowhere to be seen.
There was little time to ponder Loraline's absence as the uproar from the palace hallway seized her attention. Footsteps, overlapping voices, and the murmur of arguments filled the air, punctuated by the gasps of the palace maids.
Rising from the bed, Melania prepared to investigate the source of commotion when the door swung open of its own accord. Before her stood the palace guards, their expressions grim and resolute.
"What's happening?" Melania inquired, bewildered.
Before she could make sense of the situation, the guards seized her wrists, pulling her toward the exit. Prince Yanad, equally perplexed, hurried in to confront them.
