š.š: Not-so-new faces
šhe next day arrived on a golden breeze, sunlight spilling over the palace garden like honey.
Birds chirped softly, their melodies twining with the wind like a lullaby. The air was rich with the familiar scent of jasmine and lilac, their perfume weaving through the hedges.
The midday warmth swayed lazily through the branches of sycamore and peach trees, settling like a hush over the kingdom.
And within that hush, under the familiar embrace of the garden gazebo draped in climbing roses, sat Elysia and Zachary Aerelion.
Father and daughter.
It had become something of a recent traditionāthese afternoon tea sessions. Mandatory, but soft-edged. A quiet anchor amidst the storm of court life.
For Zachary, it was a way to observe his daughter without making it seem like he was watching too closely. For Elysia, it was a rare moment of peace, laced with birdsong, dappled shadows, and the occasional probing question.
