I took a long, deep breath, inhaling the heavy scent of the blossoms blooming beneath the balcony. I leaned on the railing, chin resting on my crossed arms, staring out into the garden. Sari and Fable played in the soft, short grass, chasing each other's tails. It had been only a few minutes since Aerion had dismissed us, yet my thoughts were still muddled, tangled in the wreckage of the past twenty-four hours.
I still couldn't make heads or tails of the city's fate. The nobles were subdued, for now, and the last of the fighting had stopped with the dawn. The pillars of smoke had dwindled to thin trails, but the cries of sorrow and loss had only just begun to replace them. Had we really won? How many had died for our 'victory?'
"I just don't get it," I mumbled, tilting my head toward Elise. She stood beside me with her hands clasped tightly at her waist, her hair rustling in the morning breeze as she stared into the distance.
