Evening had fully set in by the time Father Gavric arrived for her. 

Sara was by the windows, reading as she waited for him. Her dress was not as large or heavy as she had feared, but the pink and cream gown was shockingly revealing. The neckline curled around her upper arms and dipped below her shoulder blades in the back, leaving her shoulders and most of her chest exposed. It wouldn't have been so bad if Father Gavric had showed up covered head to toe, his loose, layered robes obscuring his form. The contrast of it was too much, and Sara fought back an embarrassed blush as he greeted her.

"You look enchanting," he said, bowing to her. He took her hand, kissing her knuckles before she could even react. The blush won out, and Sara's shoulders jumped at the warm lips. 

"Father Gavric?" It came out high and squeaky, ruining any hope of keeping up a composed image. The head priest was polite enough to ignore it.

"I've come with gifts and an invitation from His Majesty," he said, straightening. He offered her a comforting smile. "For one Miss Sara," he said, pulling out an envelope and and an ornate box from his wide sleeve with a dramatic flourish. Sara eyed the sleeve suspiciously, wondering if it was magic or talent that let him hide such a substantial wooden box there. Still, she took items.

The envelope was simple. It was blank, made of thick, off-white paper and sealed with a wax stamp. She lingered on the dragon emblazoned on the red wax. Her mind drifted back to the incident on her first day here. A dragon... Were dragons real here? She hadn't seen anything about them in her book, not that she'd gotten very far with the constant interruptions. Even if they were real, why would the King have one in the castle? And why would disrupting some spells make it freak out?

She shook the train of thought away. Now wasn't the time to speculate, not when she had so little information. She could ask about it later, after she had met King Henry herself. For now, she snapped the seal, pulling the invitation out. 

His Majesty King of Tithia, King Henry Second of His Name, requests the company of 

Lady Sara Moore of Worlds Beyond,

for Dinner in the West Garden Hall. May the lady arrive at her earliest convenience.

"Oh," Celia gasped behind her, "His Majesty granted you a title!" Marion's head snapped towards them. Suddenly Sara had two maids leaning over her, gasping as they read the invitation. 

She didn't understand the excitement. She stared blankly down at the so-called title, wondering if it was really that important. The more pressing question, however, was her last name written plainly on the card. She hadn't mentioned it to anyone here, she hadn't had any reason to. But the King - a man who wasn't even in the castle when she was summoned, somehow knew it. 

Dread squeezed her throat. Something wasn't right.

"Open the box, Lady Sara," Marion said, grinning as she used her new honorific. It snapped Sara back to the moment, reminding her once again that there just wasn't time. She shifts the box out from under her arm, brushing her fingers along the golden hardware and embellishments. She turned the front bolt, only to nearly drop the whole thing in shock at the box's contents.

Jewelry, likely worth more than everything Sara's ever owned. A short, layered necklace made of dozens of diamonds-like gems, and a matching tiara, thin metal and gems shaped into a curling floral pattern. Sara tried to hide the sheer panic she felt just holding them, let alone the thought of actually wearing them.

"Thank you," she said to Father Gavric, barely managing to keep her voice sounding happy. She was keenly aware of her lack of jewelry, anxiety curling in her stomach as she shot a wary glance at Marion. A rightfully wary glance, as Marion had stars in her eyes. 

The betrayal came from Father Gavric himself, however, who smiled at her expectantly. "I'm sure King Henry would be honored to see you wearing his gift so soon after it was given," he said, as if she had already agreed to put it on. 

Sara obediently allowed Marion to slide the pieces on. She pushed down her feelings, letting the clasp lock the necklace around her neck.

"Radiant," Father Gavric praised, "Shall we go then?" He held out his arm. 

As soon as she had settled her hands on his forearm, Father Gavric swept her out into the hallway. She waved to Marion and Celia over her shoulder, wishing desperately that they could come. 

Something wasn't right. She couldn't shake the thought. 

It's fine, she told herself, even as a retinue of guards fell into step behind them. Everything will be fine. Her heart raced as she was escorted through the winding castle, trying to focus on anything except what awaited her. Her steps, how many turns they took, even the rising buzz of magic as they drew further and further away from the wing she was staying in. Nothing helped. The deeper into the castle they went, the tighter the noose felt, as if her nerves were strangling her.

The guards' shoes clanked on the tile floor, a steady beat as the group marched on. 

It was a surprisingly short walk, not nearly long enough for her to calm herself down. Soon they came to a large double door, guarded by two knights dressed in engraved armor that buzzed with magic. The door itself had smaller enchantment, Sara could feel them even as Father Gavric pulled her back a bit. Nothing as extravagant as the ones the glass door had, but the symmetrical patterns hummed with it. Her eyes traced the long, tall lines, hands twitching.

Father Gavric pulled her back further.

"Don't touch the doors," he whispered as the knights opened them. Sara wilted at the rebuke. Still, she gave a shallow nod, tucking her limbs in as he guided her inside.

Windows lined the round room, each tall, arched, and set into the deep stone walls. It was the first thing she noticed, eyes drawn to the golden light that flooded through. Even the vaulted ceiled came together at a stained glass skylight, ensuring that the center of the room was bright too. Sara was mesmerized, her worries forgotten as she stared up in wonder. 

If the door's enchantments buzzed, then this room sang. Louder than Father Gavric's staff, or the knight's armor, even louder than the garden doors. A symphony of magic, curling between the mosaic floor and decorative stone arches. There was no deterioration, no fading that she could feel. Just a fullness, like warm drowsiness after a good meal.

Something wasn't right. 

It was still there, a choking wrongness under the beautiful flood of magic.

She wanted to touch it, to sink her fingers between the sparks of magic and ignite them. It was a compulsion, all-consuming - just like her desire to fix the garden door had been. What would happen if she opened these dams? If she let the magic in these enchantments do as it pleased?

Father Gavric squeezed her hand, yanking her back to the here and now.

There are others here, she realized, eyes falling from the windows. In the center of the room there was a circular table, where two men and dinner set for four sat waiting.

"Your Majesty, your Highness," Father Gavric said, bowing to the older of the two. Her heart stopped, a deer caught in headlights before not one, but two nobles. "I present Lady Sara Moore, our summoned hero. The next mother of your great kingdom."

The forgotten noose snapped taut.