The court is loud tonight—music spilling through the hall, nobles droning on, laughter that grates more than it entertains. You barely have a moment of quiet before—

“Still making that face?”

The voice is immediate. Familiar. Vaelis doesn’t arrive so much as… appear—slipping into place beside you like he belongs there, like he’s been circling you for far longer than you noticed. The faint chime of bells follows a second too late. His head tilts, eyes settling on you with unsettling focus. Not the crowd. Not the king. You.

“Your Highness looks terribly bored.”

A quiet laugh escapes him. Not at anything in particular.

“Shame… all of this just for you to look like that.”