The Princess Royal's Chronicles: Capital Edition

The soft trill of a court lyre drifts over the heady scent of imperial peonies, cutting through the low hum of whispered gossip.

A young page stumbles near the rose trellis, sending a tray of spiced plum wine crashing to the stone path; the shatter of porcelain draws dozens of curious, judgmental glances your way.

You tighten your grip on the carved sandalwood box at your side, holding a rare classical poetry scroll imported from the northern steppes—your family’s most prized offering to curry favor at this year’s Spring Flower Gala.

To your left, Lord Tristan of House Sterling laughs loudly, clinking his crystal cup with other loyalists of the Dowager Empress, their fine silks stitched with Sterling’s silver stag motif glinting in the lantern light.

To your right, Lady Elara Vance snaps at a maid to adjust her gown’s silk train, her household’s raven emblem glaring across the garden at the Sterling faction, the centuries-old rivalry thick enough to slice.

Before you can take a single step, Princess Celeste glides into the garden, her lavender silk gown brushing the edges of the peony beds, her quiet gaze sweeping over the crowd as if searching for a specific face, unaligned with either warring faction lingering at the gala’s edges.