Lys lingered near the warded circle of Sky Thistle until one of the senior gardeners called her name. She excused herself with a quick smile, but not before catching Rin's sleeve.
"Stay here," she whispered. "I'll take you somewhere quieter."
Minutes later, Rin found himself walking beside her through the maze of glass corridors, past rows of flowering vines and caged orchids that shimmered with unnatural hues. They emerged into a small annex, little more than a storage chamber with shelves of pots and tools. Dust motes swirled in the beams of sunlight that pierced the panes overhead.
Lys closed the door behind them, muffling the noise of the main conservatory. For a moment, the two simply regarded one another—two villagers far from home, standing in the glittering heart of the palace.
"You really haven't changed," she said softly. "Same eyes, same sharp tongue ready to cut if I'm not careful."
Rin allowed himself the smallest curve of a smile. "And you haven't changed either. Still dragging me into hiding places as if we're children escaping chores."
Her laugh rang out, light and brief. Then her expression sobered. "You shouldn't be here, Rin. Whatever reason brought you to this palace—it isn't safe. Not for someone like you."
Rin tilted his head. "Someone like me? A humble beta herbalist who knows too many names of weeds?"
Lys frowned, recognizing the evasive note. "I mean it. You don't know how this place works. Servants vanish if they displease the wrong noble. Gardeners are watched as closely as the plants they tend. The Queen Consort has eyes and ears everywhere." She lowered her voice further. "They say even the King must act in secret, or she finds a way to know."
Rin leaned lightly against the shelf, his posture relaxed, though his eyes gleamed with intent. "Then perhaps it is safer for me to be unseen. The overlooked are rarely noticed until they choose to be."
"Careful with those words," she warned. "The overlooked are often the first to disappear."
He chuckled, the sound low and polite. "Then I must tread carefully indeed. I would hate to wilt before I've had a chance to bloom."
Lys studied him closely, as if weighing the meanings hidden beneath his courtesy. At last, she sighed. "You always had a way of speaking circles around people. But remember—this isn't the Hollow. If they catch a whiff of weakness, they won't tease you. They'll use you."
Rin's gaze flickered, just briefly, before he smoothed it away. "Then it is fortunate I have no weakness worth using."
Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken truths. Rin thought of the metallic veil clinging to his skin, masking what he truly was. Lys thought of the boy who once gathered herbs by the river, now standing like a stranger dressed in polite armor.
At last, Lys placed a hand on his arm. "Whatever game you're playing, Rin… promise me you'll win it."
His lips curved in that faint, sharp smile again. "Winning is the only reason I agreed to play."
Outside, a bell rang through the conservatory, calling attendants back to their duties. Lys stepped away, shoulders straightening, her expression guarded once more.
As she slipped out the door, Rin remained in the annex, eyes lingering on the faint shimmer of Sky Thistle visible through the glass panes.
Danger surrounded him on every side—yet it was strangely comforting to know one familiar thread from home remained within these treacherous walls.