Dawn broke over Thornvale Palace, bathing the spires and gardens in soft golden light. Lyra stood on a high balcony, her hands resting on the ornate stone railing as she gazed out at the sprawling city below. The sight before her was nothing like the Thornvale described in tales throughout the Seven Kingdoms.
Instead of the rumored thorny fortifications and austere architecture, the city was a cascade of elegant towers and hanging gardens. Waterways threaded between gleaming buildings of white stone and glass, reflecting the morning light like ribbons of liquid gold. Trees with silver-blue leaves lined wide boulevards, their branches swaying gently in the breeze.
