Evening settled softly over Valkoron, The walls of the chamber glowed faintly with the warmth of sunset, soft and golden. The distant crash of the sea echoed faintly against the cliffs, though the sky above remained calm....no storm tonight, only the whisper of the wind and the scent of salt drifting through the open windows.
In her chamber, Aurelia sat before the mirror, her reflection framed by the dying light of day. Gwen stood behind her, brushing her long hair with slow, deliberate strokes.
The air smelled faintly of lavender and the sea. Neither woman spoke at first. It was the kind of silence that said everything and nothing at once
"No matter how many times I look," Aurelia murmured, eyes fixed on the woman in the glass, "I still can't get used to seeing her staring back at me."
Gwen paused, the brush mid-stroke. "Her? You mean yourself, my lady?"
