Chapter 52: You're a duchess

As Zephara and Leora I out of the castle, the cool air of the evening brushed against my skin, carrying with it the subtle fragrance of the surrounding gardens. Awaiting us was a grand carriage, its polished wood gleaming under the moonlight, and horses with coats as dark as the night sky pawing at the ground, eager to embark on the journey.

Zephara, ever the embodiment of charm, turned to me with a smile that held the promise of adventure. "Every step you take adds to your radiance, Leora," she said, her voice a gentle melody amidst the quiet of the night.

The carriage ride was smooth, the rhythmic trot of the horses a comforting cadence on the cobblestone path. As we traveled, the landscape transformed, the modest dwellings of the village giving way to open fields and then to dense forests where shadows danced between the trees.