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She stepped off the stone dais and moved toward the servants' stairwell. The key was warm in her palm now. It didn't open a jewelry box or a wine cellar; it opened the gate to the old irrigation tunnels that had been sealed for a generation. By morning, the water would flow again, and the emerald of her dress would no longer be the only green thing left in the valley. If you'd like to take this story further, let me know: Should Elara encounter in the tunnels?

She had been told that the valley was cursed, but as she watched the first sliver of the moon cut through the gray, she realized the truth was simpler. The people weren't cursed; they were waiting. They were waiting for someone to stop looking at the horizon and start looking at the dirt. Elara took a breath, the cold air biting at her lungs, and turned away from the view. The gala inside was filled with men and women in silk who traded in secrets and silk, but she wasn't going back to them.

Should the story lean more into or political intrigue ?