The sun dipped low behind the palace walls, casting golden threads across the courtyard where Lola sought a moment's peace. The laughter from earlier had long faded, leaving only the hum of the breeze and the weight of all she had endured. Her chest ached not from pain, but from the swell of too many unspoken emotions.
She sat quietly on a stone bench beneath a flowering arbor, breathing in the jasmine-laced air. But her solitude was short-lived.
"What happened?" Ethan arrived first, urgency in his eyes.
"What is this I'm hearing?" Sophia's voice followed, clipped with indignation.
"Do I need to fight someone?" Ava asked, cracking her knuckles.
"Enough," Lola said softly, lifting a hand to calm the storm of concern. "It's over. The matter has been resolved."
"But that doesn't make it acceptable," Emily replied, folding her arms.
"I'm quite ready to spend the night in the dungeon if it means I get to break the duchess's head," Ava said with a fiery glint.
"I would gladly share the cell," Sophia added with a smirk.
Lola almost laughed, but her eyes drifted past them and then she saw him. Kaelin, seated alone on the garden steps, shoulders slouched, his face lowered in quiet despair.
"I'll return shortly," she said, already rising.
"Where is she going?" Julian murmured as Lola walked away.
Liam simply shrugged.
She approached Kaelin slowly, her footsteps gentle on the stone path. He didn't look up until she sat beside him.
"What are you doing out here, Kaelin?" she asked, her voice low and warm.
He stared at the gravel beneath his feet. "I ran away from my mother."
Lola arched a brow. "And why did you do that?"
"She was furious. I thought she might lash me, and I couldn't face her rage," he muttered. "I don't want to be here anymore. I want to be a musician, but no one listens. Not my father, not my mother. They care only for my older brother. I feel like I don't exist."
"Oh, Kaelin..." Lola's heart clenched as she watched him fight back tears. "You are far too wise for your years."
"I don't want to be like the other Lords," he added bitterly. "All pomp, no heart. I want the world to hear my voice but maybe it never will."
"You know," Lola said with a twinkle in her eye, "I have a plan."
He looked at her suspiciously. "What does your plan have to do with me?"
Lola gaped playfully. "Are all royal children so cheeky?"
"Just the interesting ones," he replied with a flicker of amusement.
Leaning closer, she whispered the idea into his ear. As she spoke, Kaelin's expression changed from confusion to awe.
"Really?" he gasped.
She nodded. "Would I lie to you?"
"I love your plan!" he grinned, eyes sparkling. "It's brilliant."
"I knew you would."
Unbeknownst to them, two figures had appeared at the far end of the garden. Xander and Grand Empress Augusta stood in silence, watching the interaction unfold.
"Do you see how she brings light to everyone she touches?" the Grand Empress murmured, her voice soft with admiration.
Xander's lips curved into a quiet smile. "I do."
As if sensing his gaze, Lola turned. Her eyes met his and in that moment, the smile fell from her face. Their gazes locked, but neither moved. What passed between them was unspoken, fragile, and infinitely more dangerous than any royal scandal.