The garden
446 Words
The royal garden was Elara’s favorite place in the palace.
It was the one place where she could forget that she was being watched.
There were fountains surrounded by white roses, ancient oak trees, and stone paths winding through flower beds.
On the afternoon before Prince Lucien’s arrival, Elara escaped her etiquette lesson and hurried there.
She expected to be alone.
Instead, Adrian was inspecting the garden wall.
She stopped.
“You again.”
He turned.
“Princess.”
“Do guards usually inspect flowers?”
Adrian looked at the wall.
“I’m inspecting the wall.”
“Of course.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“You aren’t supposed to be here.”
Elara crossed her arms.
“Neither are you.”
“I am working.”
“And I am escaping.”
Adrian tried not to smile.
“Escaping from what?”
“Etiquette.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“It is.”
She walked past him.
Adrian returned to examining the wall.
After a moment, Elara looked back.
“What are you looking for?”
“Signs that someone has been climbing over.”
“Has someone?”
“I don’t know yet.”
She glanced toward the wall.
“Perhaps they’re trying to escape too.”
Adrian looked at her.
“You seem determined to escape everything.”
Elara smiled.
“Perhaps I am.”
They walked slowly along the garden path.
For once, Elara wasn’t surrounded by ladies-in-waiting.
There were no tutors.
No ministers.
No parents.
Just her and a guard who seemed strangely comfortable speaking honestly to her.
“What made you become a soldier?” she asked.
Adrian was quiet.
“My father couldn’t afford to send me to university. The army offered training.”
“And you liked it?”
“I liked knowing what I was meant to do.”
Elara looked down.
“I wish I knew what I was meant to do.”
“You are a princess.”
“Exactly.”
Adrian frowned.
“That doesn’t answer your question?”
“No.”
A silence settled between them.
Then Adrian said, “Perhaps you should decide for yourself.”
Elara looked at him.
Nobody had ever said that to her.
Not even her mother.
Before she could respond, footsteps sounded from the palace.
A lady-in-waiting appeared.
“Princess Elara! Your mother has been searching everywhere.”
Elara sighed.
“I should go.”
Adrian bowed.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
She walked away.
Then she turned.
“Goodbye, Adrian.”
He watched her disappear.
“Goodbye, Princess.”
Neither of them noticed the figure standing behind the garden wall.
Someone had been watching them.
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