After all the guests had left the ballroom, I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. I made my way up the grand staircase, each step feeling heavier than the last. The evening had been a whirlwind of emotions, and all I wanted was to collapse into bed.
But when I reached the top of the stairs, my heart sank. My mother stood there, her face stern and angry as usual.
"Lydia," she said, her voice cold and sharp. "We need to talk."
I sighed, knowing exactly what this was about. "Mother, can't it wait until tomorrow? I'm exhausted."
"No, it cannot," she replied, her tone leaving no room for argument. "We need to discuss your future. You are to become queen, and yet you seem to think you can ignore the requirements of the throne."
I rolled my eyes, already feeling the tension rising. "Mother, I know what you're going to say. You think I need to get married immediately, but I'm not ready. And besides, Aurelia—"
