The princess led Ludwig to the upper floor, where they walked out of the palace's internal halls and onto a large veranda that overlooked the garden. The daylight was almost gone, but it was still there. Lantern light from the vernada were lit up to both set a specific kind of mood and also ward off the creeping night.
The transition was immediate. Inside, the air had been thick with perfume and heat from bodies packed too close. Outside, the day was cooler and cleaner, carrying the faint scent of trimmed hedges and flowers that only bloomed for nobles. The garden below looked carefully arranged, paths and bushes shaped into beauty the way the court shaped people into roles. Even the wind felt trained here, moving gently through leaves as if it had been instructed not to disturb the palace.
The music was barely audible here.
