After saying goodbye to Sage, Zaeryn followed Valerie into the corridor, where she spoke briefly with the officer responsible for his escort. The arrangements took only a few minutes, and two Royal Guards accompanied them downstairs.
Valerie waited for him beside the entrance while the guards took their positions several paces behind them.
"Would you prefer the gardens first?" she asked.
"After spending most of the day indoors, I'd prefer just about anything outside."
"Then we'll start there," Valerie replied, leading him down the broad steps.
The path curved away from the residence between beds of blue flowers and low, carefully trimmed hedges. Beyond them, the palace grounds extended much farther than Zaeryn had been able to appreciate from his windows. The trees concealed entire courtyards, and the roofs he had assumed belonged to adjoining buildings turned out to cover separate pavilions connected by sheltered walkways.
