Chapter 39: The scandal!

Elena ventures into Astrid's room with precise timing, the clock hands aligning perfectly at 6:00 AM. In that serene hour, the morning light filters through the curtains, infusing the room with a tender, almost poetic luminosity. It was as if the dawn itself had decided to paint a masterpiece within those four walls.

Astrid lay swathed in her bed, the tendrils of sleep still caressing her like a lover's gentle snuggle. Elena, determined yet mindful of her sister's need for rest, initiated her wake-up mission with the lightest of taps on Astrid's shoulder.

Astrid, in response, emits a soft, raspy grumble, the initial protest of one reluctantly torn from the snuggle of sleep. Elena, unperturbed, issues her roguish morning warning, "Wake up, sleepyhead, while I'm still in a good mood!"

"It's still early… just a little more sleep, please."

Elena couldn't help but tease, "How can you become Queen when you adore sleep so much?"

With a hint of regal sassiness, Astrid retorts, "Well, a queen