Chapter 101 Trying

• Celine POV
• The palace halls stretch endlessly before me, their grandeur amplified by the faint flicker of torchlight casting long, shifting shadows. The guard leading me walks with purpose, his steps echoing against the polished stone floors. Despite the beauty surrounding me, the intricately carved archways, the glimmer of gold trim on every doorframe, and the soft hum of enchantments woven into the very air—I can’t focus. My body aches, and my mind feels heavy with everything that has transpired.
• “This way, Your Majesty,” the guard says, his voice firm but polite as he gestures toward a wide, ornate door at the end of the hall.