Chapter 68: A Broken Reflection
Some soft sounr of labor filled the air around the ruins of Gabriel's castle.
Workers moved, striking the stone with their hammere, and wood as they began the painstaking task of rebuilding.
Lirian had spared no expense, using Gabriel's wealth to ensure the reconstruction was quick, fast and with quality.
She sat on a cushioned bench near the gardens, Pedro perched on her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek with his beak.
Her hand stroked the parrot's feathers as her eyes drifted toward the horizon, where the sky was a muted gray.
The dress she wore was as dark as her thoughts.
Its long sleeves clung to her arms, but the open neckline bared her collarbones, adorned only by the shining of the ring Gabriel had given her.
The fabric swayed gently in the wind, matching the somber heaviness in her heart.
