That wasn't particularly encouraging.
Melisa and Aria walked away from the gardens together, leaving Zephyra to her observations of the newly resurrected lizard. The morning sun cast long shadows across the palace grounds, and Melisa couldn't help but notice how it made Aria's silver hair practically glow.
[She looks so young,] Melisa thought, studying the princess's delicate features. [It's easy to forget she's actually older than me, at least if I remember what they said in class way back correctly. Easy to forget how much weight she's carrying, too.]
They walked in silence for a while, their footsteps crunching on the gravel path. Aria's hands were clasped tightly behind her back, her posture perfect as always, but something about the set of her shoulders seemed... tense.
Finally, when they were well out of earshot of the gardens, Aria spoke.
