The Alpha's Secret Bride

Chapter 1: Dust, Thunder, and a Silent Vow   The evening in Celestial Sage City was not ordinary today. The sky had turned murky and deep, like aged copper. Torches had been lit along the high ramparts of the palace, their flickering light casting long and eerie shadows on the walls. Inside the palace, the air in the "Golden Chamber" carried a strange heaviness. This was the chamber where the most powerful figure of the empire, Empress mother, resided.  Mother stood by the window. Her back was straight, and there was that dominating aura in her stance that comes from years of ruling and being at the center of power. Age had not diminished her charm; rather, like old wine, it had made it deeper and more intoxicating. The pallu of her silk saree trailed across the floor, creating a soft rustling sound with each of her movements. At this moment, she was a big shot—a queen whose single gesture could set armies marching.