The Valen palace was awake long before dawn.
Elira had learned that truth.power never slept here,it only changed hands in quieter hours.as she moved through the eastern corridor with a tray balanced steadily in her hands, the marble beneath her feet felt cold,as though it carried memories older than the kingdom itself.
She kept her head lowered, not out of fear, but habit.
A maid who looked too closely did not last long in the palace.
Curtains flutterd gently from open balconies,carrying the faint scent of the capital below iron,rain, incense, and ambition.some where deeper within the palace, nobles were already awake, sharpening smilies and rehearsing loyalties.
Elira passed them all unseen,
Or so she believed.
"You walk as if you belong to the silence."
The voice came from behind her,low,calm, unmistakably authoritive.
Her heart skipped once before she mastered it.
She turned slowly.
Prince Alaric Valen stood several steps away, dressed not in ceremonial attire but in dark training clothes,his sword belted at his side.morning light traced the sharp planes of his face, catching in eyes that missed very little.
"My prince", she said, lowering her gaze and dipping into a respectful bow.
He didn't not tell her to rise.
That, she noticed,was a deliberate .
"How long have you served in the palace?"he asked.
"Long enough to learn my place ", she replied carefully.
She lifted her eyes then, just enough to meet his.
"It is the safest kind ".
Something unreadable crossed his expression.
"You were in the Western hall last night",he said.
"Yes".
"You heard the elders arguing".
"I heard raised voices",she corrected."Not words".
"A careful distinction."
"I survive by making them".
He stepped closer not invading her space, but close enough that she felt the shift in the air. Authourity clung to him, not loud, not cruel, but heavy.the kind that bent rooms around it.
"You don't fear me", Alaric said quietly.
I respect position", Elira replied.
His gaze lingered on her longer than protocol allowed .
"You speak like someone educated beyond service."
Her pulse quickened, but her face remained calm."the palace teaches many things to those willing to listen".
Silence settled between them, thick and watchful.
Somewhere down the corridor, footsteps echoed, reminding her that walls here had ears.
Alaric finally spoke."you should be careful".
"With what, my prince?"
"With standing out".
She inclined her head slightly."standing out is often decided by those who look too closely ".
A corner of his mouth tightened almost a smile, quickly restrained.
"Go", he said at last.
She turned and walked away,her steps even, her back straight.only when she reached the corner did she allow herself a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Behind her, Alaric remained still.
Kael emerged from the shadows, moment later arms crossed.
"You're watching her too openly", the guard replied.
"She doesn't move like the others ", Alaric replied.
"No",kael agreed.and that is exactly why she's dangerous to herself.
Alaric' s eyes followed Elira 's retreating figure until it disappeared.
"She doesn't ask for attention."
"Which makes it harder to ignore."
Later that evening, Elira stood by the tall arched Windows of the servant's quarters, watching torches ignite across the palace grounds.light always reveals too much here and darkness, never enough.
She replayed the morning encounter in her mind. Prince Alaric had not spoken like a man curious for amusement,his questions had weight.
She had seen men like him before.not kind,
Not cruel, but decisive dangerous in a way that didn't need threats and he was watching her.
" I won't be foolish,"she whispered to herself.
She knew the rules Royal did not pursue maid without reason and reason always came with consequences.