The heir apparent and the Legate of the Fourth spent a fine hour wandering the maze-like paths of the royal garden. At intervals, a guard on patrol or a servant carrying a tray of linens would cross their path; they would drop into a deep, reflexive bow and their eyes linger a second too long on the pair.
Edric was in his own world, gesticulating wildly as he spoke with a rustic, animated fervor. Beside him, the boy moved with an inherited poise, nodding at the right moments and granting the commander plenty of leeway to continue the conversation.
It took Edric quite some time to realize how ridiculous he must have appeared to an outsider. Here was a battle-hardened commander, laughing and waving his arms about like a common tavern-bard, behaving with more boisterous energy than the very child he was meant to be entertaining.
