The Elysia Kingdom's palace library was a sanctuary of silence, its high ceilings and endless shelves swallowing the morning's chaos. Viana sat at a secluded oak table, tucked in a quiet alcove far from the main hall.
Dust motes danced in the slanted light filtering through stained-glass windows, and the faint scent of parchment and leather filled the air. Her blonde hair loosely braided to keep it from her face.
Arden, as her tutor, sat across from her, his short brown hair combed back, his usual formal robes replaced by a simple white shirt and black trousers. The change made him seem younger, and more... human.
He pushed a ledger toward her, his tone was different when it was about his expertise subjects. "The kingdom's finances are its lifeblood, Your Highness. A ruler who can't read a ledger is a ruler who's blind."
