I stood alone in the center of my bedroom, adjusting the cuffs of my formal evening attire.
Three separate maids had tried to enter earlier to assist me with the fastening of my tunic, but I had flatly refused them, locking the door behind their nervous bows.
In a household where every wall had ears and every servant reported to either my father or Cassandra, I didn't want anyone anywhere near my personal space.
I took one last look at my reflection in the full-length vanity mirror. My sharp, pale features were framed by neatly styled blonde hair, and my deep blue eyes looked back at me with a cold, unblinking clarity.
I smoothed down the obsidian-black fabric of my high-collared doublet, which was heavily embroidered with silver and crimson threads forming the stylized geometric runes of the Raith family crest.
Turning away from the glass, I walked over to the arched window.
