It was a strange, intoxicating liberation. For Soren, it was the first time in a long time he didn't feel the prickle of a thousand eyes judging his every movement.
For Eris, it was a return to the anonymity she had once used as a weapon in Solmire. The guards were still there, drifting like ghosts thirty paces behind, but they were invisible to the joyous masses.
As they walked, the atmosphere of the festival changed. It was no longer a stage they had to perform upon; it was a world they were allowed to inhabit. The music sounded richer, the smells of roasting fat and sugar more potent.
Without the "Imperial Bubble," they could hear the real conversations of the people, the gossip about the harvest, the laughter of old friends, and the soft whispers of young couples. It was the first time they had truly been "alone" since the fallout of the arrest, and the weight of that privacy sat between them, heavy and expectant.
