Whispers of the Sapphire Crown

Previously

…With a final, lingering glance at the lost slipper, Anya turned and fled into the night, the cool air a balm against her flushed cheeks. The sounds of the ball faded behind her, replaced by the frantic pounding of her own heart. She ran, her steps swift and sure, until she was far from the palace gates, the image of Prince Theodore’s earnest face etched in her mind. She had met him, spoken with him, danced with him. And for one magical night, she had been seen. But now, the magic was fading, and the harsh reality of her life threatened to engulf her once more, leaving only the memory of a dance and a lost sapphire slipper, a silent testament to a stolen moment of enchantment.