Lola sat quietly in the garden parlour, her thoughts adrift like autumn leaves in the wind. She could not recall when her feelings for the emperor had turned into something this consuming, but it had begun to gnaw at her peace. The evidence of his presence, his side of the bed rumpled, the lingering scent of his cologne was all she had woken to. He hadn't spoken a word that morning. Was he avoiding her? Possibly. But she refused to dwell on it. If her days in Aldovia were numbered, she would at least fill them with joy.
"My lady, are you unwell?" Lady Alethea asked, gently interrupting her reverie.
Lola turned with a soft smile. "Why wouldn't I be?" she replied airily. Then she rose to her feet with a flourish, her voice taking on a bright edge. "Let us not sit here like forlorn dolls. Today, we dance!"
The ladies murmured, a few eyes widening in curiosity.
"We are honoured to be joined by someone special," Lola continued, moving to the centre. "A young man of rare talent you may have seen around. Please, put your hands together for... Just Kaelin!"
From the doorway, Kaelin entered bashfully. His cheeks were flushed, his gait uncertain, but the moment he stood before them, a light flickered in his eyes.
"Do not be shy," Lola encouraged. "Let your heart lead. We are here to enjoy ourselves."
Kaelin nodded, took a deep breath, and began to sing a soft, lilting melody that floated through the air like a gentle breeze. At first, the room was still. But then, one lady moved. Another followed. Slowly, laughter bubbled up, and skirts twirled in rhythm. Even Lola joined in, clapping to the beat as Kaelin's voice swelled with confidence.
It was a moment of carefree delight, made all the more sweet when an older woman, perhaps one of the dowagers leapt into the dance with unexpected fervour, drawing cheers and laughter from all around. Joy filled the room, wrapping itself around every heart like sunlight after a storm.
But it would not last.
The doors flung open with a thunderous crack.
"Her Grace, Duchess Aurelia Blackwood," the herald called out, though it was barely necessary. The Duchess had already stormed in, her eyes ablaze with fury. She marched straight to Lola and without a word struck her across the face.
The gasp that followed seemed to steal the air from the room.
Kaelin's voice was the first to break through. "Mother!"
"Silence!" she snapped, glaring at her son before turning her venomous gaze back on Lola. "How dare you demean the son of a Duke? You summon him to perform for your entertainment like a jester? Have you no understanding of your place?"
Lola stood frozen for a heartbeat, one hand at her cheek. But her voice, when it came, was steady, cool and dignified.
"I did not know he was your son. Had I known... perhaps I would still have let him sing. He is a child who simply wished to share his gift."
Duchess Aurelia blinked. "A child?"
"He meant no harm. And you, madam, had no cause to strike me."
The room was dead silent, the tension thick as velvet.
Just as the Duchess opened her mouth to retort, another voice sliced through the air.
"Enough."