The air of the palace press hall was thick with anticipation, the low hum of whispers punctuated by the clicks of camera shutters. Adela's heart thudded loudly in her chest, her pulse quickening with every step she took alongside her soon-to-be husband, the King of Myria. This moment still felt surreal to her, like something she had stumbled into by accident rather than by deliberate choice.
Standing at the front of the room, Gustav exuded calm, his presence commanding attention from the entire assembly. His arm rested at the small of her back, and though the gesture might have looked comforting, it was not. Adela couldn't help but feel a tightening sense of pressure. She did not dare show it. The world was watching. Her mother would be watching.
