Elara did not tell Alessandro what she had noticed.
The decision was not born of distrust, but of necessity, for the palace had become a place where every whispered concern seemed to find its way into the wrong ears before sunset, and if someone truly had been studying her movements, she would not give that person the satisfaction of knowing how much she had already understood. She stood before the tall mirror in her chamber while Freya fastened the clasp of her cloak, her reflection composed enough to deceive a court accustomed to reading weakness into every hesitation.
"You are going to walk into the garden as though nothing has happened," Freya murmured, adjusting the collar with careful fingers, "and I am going to pretend that I am merely accompanying you because I enjoy your company."
Elara's mouth curved. "Do you?"
"On difficult days, less than usual."
