章 16: Lingering Presence

Despite the early hour, the carriages had already started coursing through the lazy Capital, picking up wealthy commoners who were too drunk or too tired to go back home on their own feet. 

The Summer Solstice Festival was officially over, but there was still an echo of the fading celebration coming from the southern part of the city––it was the closing part of the festival; twelve women, dressed in long white dresses and with large rye crowns on their heads were making their way toward the lake where they would walk around it twelve times to pay their respects for the twelve months of the year and bless the kingdom to have a fruitful year ahead. 

Lorelai had always wanted to watch that little closing ceremony, but regretfully, she could not do it this year either. Her own summer solstice was over too. 

Right now, her top priority was to safely return to the royal palace, unnoticed. 

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