Rosaline found him in the training yards just as the late afternoon sun began to slant low across the packed earth. Lucian stood near the weapons racks, still in his practice tunic, the fabric damp with sweat along his back and collarbone. He had dismissed the guards and the other sparring partners some time ago, and now he stood alone, wiping a practice blade with slow, absent motions. His posture was straight, but there was a heaviness in his shoulders that she recognized at once, the same restless weight she had seen at breakfast.
She approached with careful steps, arranging her expression into something soft and concerned. The pale green of her gown caught the light as she moved, and she made sure her voice carried just the right amount of warmth when she spoke.
"Lucian."
He turned. For a fraction of a second his eyes were distant, still somewhere else entirely, before they focused on her. He offered a small, tired smile.
"Rose. I didn't expect you out here."
