[Lavinia's POV—The Holy Temple—Later]
The massive temple gates opened without a sound.
Not a creak. Not a greeting.
Only obedience.
The imperial carriage rolled forward slowly, its wheels echoing against sacred stone. I watched through the small window as priests and temple servants hurried across the courtyard, their movements rushed, their robes fluttering like startled birds.
"They seem panicked," Haldor murmured beside me.
I nodded slightly, eyes still fixed ahead. "Of course they are. A Crown Princess arriving without notice is never neutral. It is either honor… or trouble."
He studied their expressions carefully. "But panic alone does not mean guilt."
I turned to him, my voice calm but firm. "Exactly. That is why we are not here to accuse. We are here to observe."
I glanced back toward the courtyard.
"If anything is hidden," I continued softly, "it will reveal itself when watched long enough."
He nodded once. "Then we watch."
