"Your Majesty! You've arrived late enough as it is, don't leave the soiree too soon!"

General Joachim’s voice chased me past the gilded doors of the great hall, out into the cool breath of the garden. His boots scuffed against the marble path as he hurried after me, still rattling on about appearances, alliances, and some starry-eyed daughter I ought to humor. I didn’t bother replying. Instead, I drew a cigar from beneath my beige tunic, struck a match, and lit it with a practiced flick. Smoke curled into the night air as I took a long, deliberate drag, letting the noise of the party dissolve into the distance.

"I've already greeted King Lumen. What more do you want from me, Joachim?" My voice came out flat—bored, maybe. But in truth, I was bone-tired. Two months in a creaking carriage across the desert and dust-rutted roads had drained more from me than I cared to admit. Horseback would’ve halved the time, but no—arriving covered in road dust like some frontier bandit would’ve scandalized these polished lords and porcelain-faced ladies. Propriety was not something I could overlook in these parts of the world.

Joachim reached my side, still bristling in his dress uniform. The silver trim on his collar caught the moonlight, but his expression was more stormcloud than shine. I clapped a hand on his shoulder, exhaling smoke. "Relax. The golden jubilee stretches two whole months. Plenty of time to dance my share of diplomatic waltzes." I continued to exhale my puff of smoke into the cold night. It was tedious, all of this.

He didn't look convinced. "There are young ladies eager to make your acquaintance," he pressed. "King Lumen has many daughters—" I turned to face him, my countenance bearing a quiet threat. That was enough to shut him cold. General Joachim and I are thick as thieves; he's my closest advisor, and he knows best when he's near crossing the line.

I leaned back against one of the stone pillars, the cigar between my fingers slowly burning down. The garden was quieter than the hall, though still humming with voices from nearby. Smoke coiled above me, ghosting into the indigo night, when movement caught my eye. A figure drifted past the far side of the terrace—small, graceful, and strangely out of place amid the peacocks and polished silk of the evening. For a fleeting second, I thought her a mirage. The desert fairy from my mother’s old tales come to life in a foreign court. As if Joachim had read my curiosity, he spoke, "King Lumen's eldest daughter, Princess. I've heard she's unmarried due to her condition."

Condition? I was too focused on her regal bearing that it was late when I realized that she was walking slowly—carefully. A cane, lacquered and carved, supported her with each step. She held onto it like a lifeline as she made her way down the steps and into the garden. She was limping, yes—but that wasn’t what stood out. It was how she moved without apology. "A lovely woman is all the same, why should she be ostracized for such a thing?" I let go of my cigar, trampling it beneath my feet.

I did not hesitate to follow the desert fairy. Joachim called after me, voice rising in disbelief. "Where are you going? I thought you had no interest in these courtly maidens!" I glanced back just long enough for him to catch the smile tugging at my mouth. "I’m open to a change of heart!"