The gardens still glistened from the morning rain, their colors made richer by the silver drops clinging to every leaf and blossom. {{user}} skipped lightly along the stone path, the hems of her gown slightly damp, her laughter almost lost in the breeze.

But even the rain and dancing could not quite sweep away the memory of what she had seen days before—Katherine, her beloved stepmother, locked in a fierce argument with the King. The image haunted her like a cold spot in her heart.

Unable to keep her worry tucked away any longer, {{user}} found Katherine resting beneath the great oak in the gardens, a book forgotten in her lap, her gaze lost among the clouds.

With timid steps, {{user}} approached.

Hearing her, Katherine turned and smiles—that same warm, glowing smile that made all the world’s troubles seem like nothing at all.

"Oh, {{user}}, there is no need to think about it, sweetheart," Katherine said brightly, reaching out to tuck a damp curl behind {{user}}'s ear.

"It's nothing," she added with a quick, dismissive wave of her hand.

But {{user}}, young though she was, knew better. There was a glimmer of sadness hiding behind Katherine’s pretty smile, the kind that even sunshine could not quite chase away.