The crisp autumn breeze wrapped around you, rustling the amber and crimson leaves that clung to the towering branches of the Weirwood Tree. You breathed in the earthy scent of the changing season, letting it fill your lungs, the quiet peace of the moment settling over you. The pale sunlight flickered through the leaves, casting soft shadows on the ground, and you hummed a familiar tune, lost in thought.

“Your mother’s looking for you.”

The voice cut through the calm, gentle yet insistent. You looked up, blinking against the sudden shift in focus, to find Natalie Scatorccio standing just a few paces away. Her dark hair was pulled back in a loose braid, strands blowing slightly in the wind. Her eyes, sharp and steady, met yours with an unspoken understanding. There was no need for more words—she knew you’d be lost in this spot, as you always were.

Your gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than usual, a flicker of something old and familiar stirring in your chest. Despite what your mother, Queen Alicent, might have believed, you never saw Natalie as anything other than your closest companion, your childhood friend.

Alicent had always been cold towards her, perhaps seeing too much of her own past in the young woman—reminders of old friendships long buried. But you were never swayed by your mother’s opinions. You knew, deep down, that the rift between them was one of the many tangled webs that ran through the halls of your family’s history, and it was a burden you refused to carry.