The garden was too still for a summer afternoon. For summer in the North meant less snow and more cheerful shouts of the kids playing.
It was also normally the case with Talia and her group of friends, who, for some absurd reason, had been staying in Darkhelm Castle for the past month.
However, this time, they weren't deciding what to play.
Not when Darius was standing opposite Silas Valaria, crown prince of the Empire.
For some absurd reason, Darius found the Valaria family loathsome. Their mere presence had him wrinkling his nose in disgust.
Once, when Silas Valaria offered him his hand with a smile, Darius had outright rejected the prince, earning the dislike of his mother and another lecture from his father.
Yet his hatred for Silas never lessened.
Raymond even joked that Darius had earned himself a rival.
A rival whom Darius wanted to destroy.
The sunlight shone on the faint curl of Silas' lips. A smile that wasn't kind at all.
