The balcony basked beneath the sun. From this height, the capital looked bright and endless, a massive sea of rooftops stretching out toward the hills. It would have looked completely peaceful, if not for the faint, distant clinking of armor from the guards patrolling the palace gates down below.
Zarius stood right at the edge, his hands resting on the stone railing as he stared out at the royal palace spires in the distance. He had been quiet ever since they stepped outside, as if he just needed a moment to breathe away from the suffocating crowd.
Flio stood just a step behind him, waiting patiently.
"Flio," Zarius called, his deep voice carrying easily over the soft rustle of the wind.
"Yes, Your Grace?"
"How long have we known each other?"
