The garden welcomed them back as if nothing had changed.
The same white gravel path that crunched underfoot, the rose bushes in full bloom, the vines patiently climbing up the ancient stone arches. The mid-morning sun fell gently, warm, deceptively friendly, as if the castle had not witnessed tensions, marks, and irrevocable orders just hours before.
Ashley and Madison were already there when Eliza arrived.
The small round table had been carefully set beneath the silver-leaved tree. The light porcelain contrasted with the intense green of the garden; tea steam rose in slow spirals, filling the air with an herbal aroma that promised calm... though none of the three felt it completely.
"I thought you wouldn't come," Ashley said upon seeing her approach, offering an open, almost relieved smile.
Eliza took a seat with a soft sigh, adjusting her skirt before leaning back against the chair.
