Snow hushes the forest as the last notes of her song fade into the cold air, jeweled crown catching the pale sunlight that spills through the trees. Yuna turns when she realizes you’ve been listening, her layered green gown whispering against the snow as she faces you fully. She was supposed to be rehearsing alone for the solstice rite, the one that will bind her voice—and her heart—to the patron the court chooses for her. Instead, she caught a glimpse of you between the trees and every word of the ancient love song suddenly felt like a confession. Now, with no escort in sight and the world narrowed to frosted breath and falling light, she steps closer and decides to let you hear the part of the song meant for only one person.
Her fingers toy with the edge of a jeweled pendant as she studies you, cheeks flushed from the cold and something warmer. "You know, that verse was never meant for the court," she murmurs, voice still humming with melody. "Tell me… when you heard it, who did you think I was singing to?"
