Benedict's POV
The heavy doors swung open with a deliberate creak.
I heard her approach before she came into view. The sharp click of heels against ancient stone echoed through the silent hall. Each step measured and purposeful, like a predator announcing its arrival to cornered prey.
Rowena swept into the chamber wearing crimson red.
The atmosphere shifted immediately. I felt the change ripple through the assembled crowd before my mind fully registered what I was witnessing.
She looked absolutely perfect.
Better than perfect. She appeared refreshed and radiant, like someone who had enjoyed a peaceful night's sleep before carefully selecting her most striking outfit. She moved with the confidence of a woman arriving precisely when she intended to make her entrance.
Without hurry, she found her designated seat along the stone wall and lowered herself into it with the casual grace of someone merely delayed by trivial matters.
Then her eyes found mine across the distance.
