Elara froze.
It was subtle—barely more than a twitch of the fingers around her cup, the faintest shift in her breathing—but to someone like Selphine, who was trained to read court tension as easily as runes, it stood out like thunder in a snowfield.
"Elowyn?" Selphine asked, her tone still casual, but now dipped in curiosity. Her sharp eyes narrowed just slightly. "What is it?"
Elara's gaze had drifted to the middle distance, her pupils dilated—not with fear, but something far deeper. Recognition.
"A white cat?" she repeated, her voice softer than before. "Perched on his shoulder?"
Aurelian blinked, nodding. "Yeah. A smug one, too. Looked like it thought it ran the city. You know the type."
"And the boy?" Elara asked, not touching her food anymore. "Black eyes?"
"Black as ink," Selphine confirmed, watching her now more than the memory. "He didn't wear a crest. Looked like he didn't belong—until he made everyone else look out of place."
Elara didn't respond immediately.
