Vishendor's unlikely Queen

The market was alive with its usual hum—voices calling, fabrics fluttering, gossip flying faster than coin. In the heart of it all stood my mother's shop, Threads and Silk by Thalira, its wooden sign swaying gently in the breeze.

"Anna!" Mothers voice called from inside, sharp and certain as always.

I dropped the folded silks in my arms and pushed past a customer browsing the embroidery wall.

"Yes, Mother?"

"Take these dresses to the Dravaris house," she said, handing me a covered bundle. "They're for Lady Lora."

"Yes, Mother."

It wasn't far; it was just a few streets away.

---

The iron gates of House Dravaris stood tall and silent as Anna approached, the bundle of dresses pressed firmly against her chest. She knocked, and the heavy wooden door groaned open a moment later.

A maid, neatly dressed in deep burgundy, offered a soft smile.

"Lady Lora will receive you inside."she said calmly.

"Thank you." I replied with a soft smile.

As I stepped in, the familiar scent of old books and polished wood wrapped around me. My boots clicked quietly on the black marble floor as I followed the maid down a dim corridor, every step pulling me deeper into the quiet grandeur of the manor.

In the drawing room, Lady Lora entered with her usual flair—tall, graceful, and smiling like someone with a secret.

"Anna," she beamed. "It's been so long."

"We saw each other three days ago," I replied, laughing.

"And that, my dear, is far too long." she said

We had been friends for over three years, ever since Lora stumbled into Thalira's shop looking for fabric; she left with a friendship that had only grown.

"Sit," Lora insisted. "We have so much to catch up on."

"I can't," I said, shifting the dresses in her arms. "Mother needs me back at the shop."

Lora frowned dramatically.

"At least stay for refreshments?"

"Not today," I replied, smiling.

"Alright then. But tomorrow, you'll owe me a full hour."she said.

"Deal." I replied quickly.

Just as I was about to leave, Lora caught my hand gently.

"Before you go… I want you to meet someone."

I blinked.

"Someone?" i asked confused

"My brother," she said, noticing the confusion in my face.

"You mean… the Duke of Morveth?"

Lora nodded, her smile returning. "He arrived yesterday. The king summoned him back to Velmira for business… but he'll be here a while."

My breath caught up for a moment, but I followed her as she led me deeper into the manor. The hallway narrowed, lined with cold stone and ancient family crests. They stopped in front of a tall oak door.

Lora opened it without knocking.

---

Inside, the room was steeped in quiet gold, the light from a tall, arched window spilling across shelves crowded with books and relics of a forgotten era. At the center, behind a polished desk of midnight oak, sat a man—still as a statue, yet possessing a presence that filled the room.

His hair was dark, cut close to the shape of his jaw, with the soft sheen of ink on parchment. Every detail of him—the line of his shoulders, the stillness of his hands—spoke of discipline wrapped in elegance.

But it was his eyes that caught her—not gold like a demon's, but the deep, steady brown of rich earth after rain. They met hers, and for a heartbeat, everything else disappeared.

"Brother," Lora said, stepping inside. "This is Anna—the girl I've been telling you about."

I stood still, rooted, like the wind had left my lungs.

He rose from the desk, every movement smooth and deliberate.

"Anna," he repeated, his voice deep and calm.

"G-good day, my Lord," i said quickly, bowing my head.

"No need for formality," he replied, eyes never leaving hers. 'Call me Varen. I've heard… quite a lot about you."

I tried to respond, but my voice felt stuck in my throat.

Off to the side, Lora grinned wildly, like a child who just saw her wish granted.

Something unspoken passed between them—a pull, ancient and instinctive.

She didn't know why her hands suddenly felt too warm or why her heart had begun to race.

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