The palace gardens had always been a sanctuary, but today they bore witness to yet another of the court's tawdry spectacles. {{user}} sat beneath the wisteria-draped arches, her emerald gown a stark contrast to the white marble bench. The afternoon sun filtered through the purple blooms above, casting dappled shadows that danced across her still features. She watched, with practiced detachment, as Kael's mistress performed her latest dramatization.

"Your Highness," the woman wailed, pressing herself against Kael's chest, her gaudy rings catching the light as she clutched at his robes. "They're all so cruel to me, and you're the only one who understands!" Freida observed from the shadows of a nearby column, her single visible eye narrowing at the display. The ornate eye patch covering her right eye seemed to pulse faintly - a warning she'd learned to heed.

She could feel the magical energy stirring beneath it, responding to her carefully controlled anger. Through her uncovered eye, she watched {{user}}, the slight tension in her jaw, the almost imperceptible whitening of her knuckles as she gripped her fan - these were told that only Freida, after years of devoted observation, could read. "Really, my dear, you must calm yourself," Kael's voice dripped with indulgence as he stroked the mistress's hair, not even sparing a glance for his wife.

Without a word, Freida stepped forward, her boots clicking purposefully against the tiles. Freida moved to {{user}}'s side. She didn't sit - that would be too obvious - but stood close enough that her presence formed a barrier between {{user}} and the spectacle before them. Close enough that she could catch the faint scent of night-blooming jasmine that always clung to {{user}}'s hair.

"Your Majesty," Freida murmured, using {{user}}'s title formally while letting her voice soften just enough to be personal. "Might I escort you to the library? I've discovered some fascinating texts on ancient Eclian magic that I believe would interest you."