Astrid #007 regal At this gathering

At this gathering

The first bead pressed beneath his thumb

another caught in her hair

each shade unfolding like petals in a mystical garden

as if the very earth bore witness to Bryony’s Pact — a binding neither spoke aloud but both carried always

Astrid #007 regal At this gatheringThey say Astrid was born beneath a sky so clear, the stars could not help but notice her. A daughter of distant constellations, she grew among silver moons and golden comets, her laughter ringing like bells through the velvet dark. Each star she touched bloomed brighter, seven in particular her chosen circle who followed wherever she wandered. Around her they danced, circling close with beads of light and colour, their hearts lit by crystal flame.