A Beautiful Lie Told in Silence
A Beautiful Lie Told Without Words
Stillness settled, yet it brimmed with something unspoken when William finished speaking.
It felt crowded.
Something heavy sat in the air - not noise, but tension stacked in glances, wants held back, minds working too hard behind still faces. One thought pushed against another until edges blurred. Fear crept under bold plans like a draft through a cracked door. What looked like need was often just habit wearing a sharper name. Trust slipped away while everyone watched something else, gone before anyone named it.
Their faces stretched into golden ribbons by the oak's shine. Light danced over smooth grain and skin, bending moods with its waver. One moment - kings sat there. Then, figures aware that time had leaned close without warning.
No one spoke.
Not yet.
A soft tapping sound came through the quiet.
