A Royal Welcome
Commoners froze mid-step.
Fruit spilled as traders let go, tumbling in slow arcs over cold paving stones. Giggles erupted when kids sprang ahead, arms wide, chasing hues that floated just beyond their fingers.
"What sort of magic makes this happen?" a man whispered, his words shaky.
"I've never seen magic like this," someone whispered.
One person moved their head from side to side, steady and low. Not destruction, they thought out loud
"It's…" They swallowed. "It's beautiful."
A few soldiers froze mid-step, flower bits stuck on breastplates, slipping off rim of shields, tangled in hoods and headgear. Silence sat heavy. Not a shout. Not a horn. Only slow breaths, stares lifted into open air.
A heavy silence settled as Commander Black let his hand drop away from the blade.
