The courtyard of Peduviel glowed beneath the soft amber of evening lanterns.
Long tables had been set beneath flowering trees, their branches strung with ribbons of gold and pale silk that stirred gently in the warm night air. Music drifted from a small group of musicians gathered near the fountain, their instruments weaving quiet melodies through the laughter of nobles who had already begun celebrating the engagement in earnest.
The hunt had been successful.
The feast was lively.
Eastern wine flowed generously across the tables, and servants moved between guests carrying platters of roasted meats, fruits, and sweet pastries.
Killan sat among the gathered lords of the South and East, though his attention was only half on the conversation around him.
His gaze moved often across the courtyard.
