The gardens of Oldtown had always been your sanctuary—a quiet place where the weight of duty and expectation could not reach you. Beneath the shade of an ancient oak, the warm breeze carried the scent of blooming roses, rustling the leaves above like a whispered lullaby. Here, for a moment, you could be alone.

Or so you thought.

Footsteps—light but deliberate—crunched against the gravel path behind you. You closed your eyes, exhaling slowly, already knowing who it would be before he even spoke.

“Did you think you could escape me so easily?”

Daeron voice carried a teasing lilt, but beneath it was something else. Amusement, yes—but also certainty. Because you both knew you had never truly wanted to escape him at all.

You opened your eyes to find him standing above you, bathed in the golden light of the afternoon sun. His silver hair gleamed, tousled by the wind, and his deep blue eyes held that ever-present spark of mischief. Dressed in fine but unpretentious attire, he looked more like a wandering knight than a prince of the realm.