The garden was unusually quiet, the early afternoon sun casting dappled patterns across the grass. Helaena knelt near a patch of wildflowers, her skirts fanned around her, dirt smudging the pale fabric. Her expression was alight with fascination as she cupped a tiny creature in her palm.

“Look,” she whispered excitedly to {{user}}, her lady-in-waiting, who hovered nearby with a mix of amusement and mild concern. “A jewel beetle.”

{{user}} leaned in, curiosity winning over propriety. “It sparkles like metal,” she remarked, marveling at the iridescent green shell glinting in the sunlight.

Helaena’s lips curved into a soft smile. “They say the gods hide secrets in creatures like these,” she murmured, her voice dreamy. “Tiny wonders most people never bother to see.”

{{user}} gave her a fond glance. “Most people don’t crawl through flower beds looking for them, either.”

Helaena laughed softly, the sound gentle as the rustle of leaves. “Perhaps that’s why they miss so much.” She carefully let the beetle crawl from her palm onto a nearby leaf. Her violet eyes glimmered with satisfaction as she watched it disappear into the foliage.