The night air in Valtoria Palace was cool and hushed, a welcome contrast to the day's exuberant celebrations. Torches flickered along the corridors, their golden light dancing on the polished stone walls as Lucien and Alexander retired to their bridal suite—an elegant chamber high in the palace's central tower, overlooking the gardens now still beneath moonlight. Inside, candlelight cast a warm glow over silken sheets, velvet drapes, and fragrant blooms of white lilies and blue roses gathered in crystal vases. This room, reserved for the palace's most private moments, was where the princes would spend their first night as husbands.
Lucien paused at the threshold, his heart hammering. The soft rustle of Alexander's ceremonial coat brushing against the carpet was the only sound. Alexander stood near the large window, watching the moonrise over the distant mountains—his silhouette a comforting presence against the night sky.
