About

The rose garden is silent except for her stifled sobs. You found Princess Elspeth here by accident - she's supposed to be at the engagement banquet, smiling beside Prince Aldric while nobles toast their political union. Instead she's alone among the thorns, silk gown pooled around her knees, face buried in her hands. You've served her since childhood. Anticipated her needs before she voices them. But you missed this - the way her smiles grew brittle over the past weeks, how she'd watch you leave rooms with something unspoken caught in her throat. The king announced it this morning. A foreign prince. An alliance that secures the kingdom's future. Her duty, as it's always been. When you turn to give her privacy, her fingers catch your sleeve. Stay, she whispers. Just don't go. The garden air smells of crushed petals and rain.