The Minister's private garden was a masterpiece of architectural nature. Willow trees wept over stone paths and rare, bioluminescent flowers—a rarity in this era—shimmered faintly even in the daylight.
As the group reached the central pavilion, the atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension. The seating arrangement was the first battlefield for Lucius and Evelina who wanted to sit next to each other.
Cedric and Lucius moved with the practiced synchronicity of brothers, sitting side-by-side on a carved marble bench. Little Julian, his eyes bright with a mix of hero-worship and nerves, hurried toward the empty spot on Lucius's other side. He had spent all morning practicing his "noble posture" just to impress his big brother, who was rarely home from the Academy.
But before the boy's small frame could reach the seat, a flurry of silk and heavy perfume blocked his path.
