The afternoon sun slanted through the tall windows of the Thorne archives, casting pools of golden light across ancient leather-bound volumes and carefully preserved scrolls. I ran my fingers over the spine of the final journal compiled by Duke Lysander Thorne, feeling the weight of history beneath my touch.
Ten years. Ten years of my life dedicated to uncovering the true story of Duke Alaric I and his Masked Wife, Isabella. What had begun as academic curiosity had become my life's work—a passion that had consumed me, changed me, and ultimately fulfilled me in ways I never expected.
"Just where I thought I'd find you," came a voice from the doorway. Gerald, the current head archivist and my faithful assistant these past few years, stood with a small wooden box in his hands. "The last of the Eastern accounts, as requested. Found them in the secondary vault."
I smiled gratefully. "Perfect timing. I was just finishing with Lysander's final accounts."
