[Prince Kael's POV]
The meeting should have been simple.
Reports from the border, a discussion of grain prices, and a request for additional guards at the summer palace.
But as always, the council dragged the matter into endless circles.
Kael sat at the head of the long oak table, his expression unreadable. His gaze drifted once toward the open balcony doors — a subtle, fleeting glance that no one noticed.
From here, he could see the courtyard. A gathering of nobles was forming around the marble fountain, their laughter mixing with the steady splash of water.
His eyes found her.
Lady Miren.
She stood slightly apart from the group, speaking to another noblewoman. The sunlight caught in the dark sheen of her hair, and though her expression was politely neutral, there was something in her posture — a self-possession that drew his attention without permission.
Kael's fingers tapped against the armrest, just once, before stilling.
It was… inconvenient, the way she unsettled his focus. She was not a figure of political importance — yet. And yet, she carried herself as if she knew something others did not.
---
The rest of the council spoke on, but Kael's mind lingered.
He remembered the first time he had seen her — weeks ago, in the great hall. She had met his eyes only for an instant before lowering her gaze, but something in that single moment had tightened the air between them.
Now, watching her speak, he noticed the quiet way she observed the people around her. She was not like Lady Serina, who dazzled and demanded attention. Miren seemed almost content to be overlooked. Almost.
---
A flicker of movement — Lady Serina herself stepped into view, greeting Miren with a smile just a fraction too sweet.
Kael's jaw tightened.
It was not suspicion, not yet. But experience had taught him that those who smiled too much often had teeth behind the curve of their lips.
Still, he did not intervene. This was not the moment.
---
"Your Highness?" the chancellor's voice called him back to the table.
Kael inclined his head slightly. "Proceed."
But as the discussion resumed, his gaze slid once more toward the courtyard
— just to be certain she was still there.
---