Secrets of the Sea

Queen Lyra found her daughter by the sea-facing balcony, the salty breeze tugging at the silken edges of her gown. Althea’s gaze was fixed on the endless expanse of the ocean, her shoulders slumped with a weariness that had become a familiar shadow in the princess’s bright eyes. The queen approached softly, her own heart aching with a mother’s quiet concern. The impending marriage to Prince Valerius, a man Althea barely knew, hung heavy in the air, a gilded chain Althea was being forged to wear.

“You seem lost in thought, my dear,” Lyra said, her voice a gentle balm against the silence.

Althea started, turning with a forced smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Mother. I was merely… admiring the view.”