đ.đ: Anastasia Aerelion
đhe palace was buzzing with activity, as it always was during the late mornings.
Robed servants moved quickly yet quietly down the marbled corridorsâsome carrying silver trays, others adjusting fresh floral arrangements.
Out in the expansive royal gardens, a gardener in a wide-brimmed hat chuckled softly as he passed a shy maid, handing her a plucked rose before returning to tending the tulips. The breeze carried the scent of freshly trimmed greenery and distant spices from the palace kitchens.
But deeper into the gardens, nestled beneath a domed gazebo wrapped in climbing vines and blooming lilacs, sat an entirely different worldâquiet, still, thick with emotion.
Elysia perched on the cushioned bench, her hands resting in her lap, trying not to fidget. Before her, a delicate tea set gleamed in the soft light, flanked by a plate of honey-dusted pastries and the faintest scent of lavender.
