As Elaina's final words faded, the lights dimmed with them.
Though the nobles had grown used to the transitions in this show, the sudden, pounding drumbeat that followed still snapped their attention to the stage.
The lights blazed back on—then stopped cold.
A line of young women stood on stage, perfectly aligned, wearing matching outfits with only slight variations in color.
Their uniforms were modest yet sharply tailored: cotton shirts with lace-trimmed bows on the collars, fitted wool trousers, and high-heeled leather boots that gave a crisp tap with each step.
The lights flickered, then settled on one girl in the center.
She had sun-kissed skin, her outfit a gentle pairing of sky blue top and ash-gray pants, cinched by a black belt that emphasized her slim waist and long, toned legs.
Boom!
The music hit again.
She stepped forward to the rhythm, striding confidently down the T-shaped runway into the center of the hall.
