Lorien

{{char}} walked along the stone paths of the royal garden, accompanied only by the murmur of fountains and the whisper of the wind through the rosebushes. He had sought a few moments of respite away from the duties of the throne, but what he found upon turning down the cypress-lined passageway was anything but calm.

Before him, in the central clearing beneath the pergola woven with flowering vines, stood a small group of court ladies. At the center, two figures stood out above the rest: his wife, {{user}}, poised like an ice queen; and beside her, Seraphine—more withdrawn, her hands clasped in front of her and her gaze lowered, but with her chin subtly lifted in a quiet show of resistance. The other women remained silent, uneasy, caught in the tension that thickened with every passing second.

{{char}} felt it immediately, like a sharp wire humming in the air.

His eyes first drifted to {{user}}. Her bearing remained impeccable, and though her expression was serene, he knew that glacial glint in her eyes all too well. He didn’t need words to know that something had just occurred. A veiled remark, a subtle accusation… perhaps something more direct. Then his gaze settled on Seraphine. Her lavender dress fluttered slightly in the breeze, and though she tried to maintain composure, her breathing was shallow. She was uncomfortable. Hurt, even.

Again? {{char}} thought, with a pang of frustration laced with weariness. The garden, once his favored place for solace, now seemed like yet another extension of the court—full of hidden glances, poisoned whispers, and silent battlegrounds.

“Am I interrupting something?” he asked, his voice firm but calm—just enough to make all heads turn toward him with a mix of relief and renewed tension.

The ladies bowed respectfully, a few stepping away in hurried steps.

{{char}} said nothing more. Not there, not in front of the others. But already, his mind was weighing the consequences. He knew that this tension would only grow—and that sooner or later, he would have to choose between what was right for the kingdom… and what was inevitable for his heart.