But confusion rippled beneath the surface of the awe.
'Wasn't the princess supposed to have golden hair?'
A thought struck the crowd all at once. Like leaves turning in the wind, heads began to shift, scanning the hall for someone else… someone familiar.
And then they found her.
Claire.
Pale as moonlight, trembling where she stood. Her lips quivered, teeth faintly chattering. She clung to the sheer veil draped over her face, as if it could somehow protect her from the truth, shield her from the unraveling of a lie she had lived for far too long.
She had hoped that silence would be enough. That mystery would mask falsehood. That pretending would let her keep the stolen title without ever needing to speak a word.
But now, face-to-face with the true princess, Claire's world collapsed around her.
The Alpha King's voice deepened, his words drawn out with measured weight as he subtly shifted his gaze toward Claire.
