[Lavinia's POV—Somewhere in the Empire, Minutes After Teleportation]
P O P.
The world folded in, exploded out, and then—
"Ughhhhh…"
I collapsed face-first onto a suspiciously uneven cobblestone street.
"My bones are sideways," I mumbled into the ground.
Brother Lysandre's magic may be powerful and sparkly, but his landing precision? Not award-winning.
"Stars above…" Osric muttered, groaning beside me. "My dignity."
I peeled myself off the street, blinking at the crowded chaos that had swallowed us whole.
People everywhere.
Vendors shouting. Banners flapping. Firecrackers popping. The smell of spiced roasted almonds and fresh bread filling the air. Children ran past with paper dragon tails, and a juggler tossed flaming torches like gravity was optional.
And above it all—A giant, twinkling banner:
"Happy First Crawl Day, Princess Lavinia!"
…Which I would've enjoyed immensely if I wasn't currently dressed like a background character in a soap opera.
