The garden paths were quiet, save for the soft crunch of gravel beneath their boots. The evening air carried the faint scent of lilies from the greenhouse nearby, and the lamps began to flicker to life one by one along the stone walkway.
The sun was already setting, the sky getting darker and darker.
For a time, neither of them spoke. Edric walked with his hands behind his back, his gaze distant, as though lost in thought. Then, finally, he broke the silence.
"What do you think of my offer, Noah?"
Noah didn't answer immediately. His eyes followed the drifting petals of a flower caught on the wind.
The question had been on his mind since their last conversation in the palace. The offer of access to the royal armory, and the price that came with it.
Edric stopped, turning slightly to face him. "You should consider it seriously," he said.
