The Crown's Fire

The celebration continued into the night, but Greta decided to return to her bedchamber to change her gown. She couldn’t help but notice how beautifully the king and queen looked together, their mutual affection evident in every glance and gesture. She smiled and whispered, "I guess I’ve finally moved on." During the ceremony, she searched deep in her heart while staring at Ezekiel. To her surprise, she felt nothing but happiness seeing him with his chosen wife. It was a light, relieving sensation.

To be honest, throughout the celebration, her eyes kept wandering, searching for one person... Elijah.

As she removed her gown to change into something simpler, she muttered, "He’s so busy." Elijah had been difficult to find throughout the evening. They hadn’t had a chance to interact at all.

With a sigh, she changed into her sleepwear, her mood soured by the lack of contact with Elijah. Deciding she was no longer in the mood to go out, she called for a servant to bring her dinner to her room.

After some time, the servants arrived with a spread intended for two.

"Wait, I’m the only one eating. This is too much," Greta said, puzzled.

The servants giggled, and one of them explained, "Commander Elijah saw us in the hallway and said to prepare dinner for two because he would be joining you."

Greta’s face turned red as she realized the implication. The servants, with amused smiles, set the table. Just then, Elijah knocked and the servant opened the door for him.

"I heard you wanted to eat alone, so I thought I’d join you," Elijah said with a wide smile. As the servants left, Greta noticed Elijah’s gaze fixated on her. She followed his line of sight and realized she was wearing a thin gown that did little to conceal her figure. Her peaks were noticeable through the fabric, hardened by the cold.

She cursed under her breath and quickly grabbed a shawl to cover herself.