Just as she composed herself, sat back down in the chair beside Murphy, and even casually picked up the now-lukewarm honey-lemon tea to feign a sip.
The sound of light footsteps ca from the end of the garden path, mingled with the clear and cheerful voice of a young girl.
"Annabelle said the blue one would look like a starry sky under the right light, and the silver one shines brighter in the sun, so it took forever to choose!"
Eleanor’s voice grew closer. She was holding the hand of her lady-in-waiting, Annabelle, as they walked toward the pavilion.
The little girl’s face was flushed with excitent, her dark eyes sparkling.
Annabelle stopped outside the pavilion, bowed, and silently stepped aside.
Eleanor ran into the pavilion like a cheerful little bird and first smiled at Margaret. "Mother! I’ve decided! I’ll choose the blue cape. Annabelle said the snow fox fur trim looks like snowflakes from the Northern Territory, and..." She paused, turning to Murphy, her voice filled with excitent, "and since Father is from the Northern Territory, I want to dress like I’m from there too!"
Margaret set down her teacup, a gentle smile on her face. It was a completely different expression from any she had shown while alone with Murphy, full of motherly tenderness. "An excellent choice, my dear. Blue complents your eyes, and the snow fox fur trim is perfect for the morning air this ti of year. It won’t be too cold."
Murphy looked at his daughter’s excited little face, and much of the gravity in his eyes dissipated. He gave a slight nod. "It suits you well."
Having received her parents’ approval, Eleanor was even happier.
She climbed into the chair next to Murphy, her small hands resting naturally on the edge of the table. Her gaze shifted between her parents, and she suddenly asked, "What were Father and Mother talking about just now? The garden felt so quiet when I ca back."
Margaret picked up the teapot and, with the fluid grace of flowing water, elegantly poured half a cup of warm tea for Eleanor before naturally topping off Murphy’s cup.
"We were just discussing so of the details for tomorrow," she said, her tone gentle and natural. "After all, it’s our Little Princess’s fifth birthday, and every detail is important."
Eleanor nodded as if she half-understood. She held her teacup and took a small sip, but her eyes curiously studied her parents.
A child’s intuition can sotis be astonishingly sharp. Though she couldn’t put her finger on it, she sensed a peculiar atmosphere between her father and mother that she didn’t quite understand—it wasn’t like how they were with Leia and the others, nor how they were with Annabelle.
Murphy picked up an almond crisp and handed it to Eleanor. "Try this. They just brought them."
"Thank you, Father." Eleanor took it and had a small bite, her eyes squinting in satisfaction.
Margaret also picked up a fruit tart but didn’t eat it. She just rested her fingertips lightly on the edge of the porcelain plate, her gaze fixed on her daughter, before it seed to drift casually over to Murphy’s calm profile.
"Oh, right," Eleanor said after swallowing the crisp, as if suddenly rembering sothing. "Annabelle also helped look at the coronets. She said the Moonlight Stone one matches the blue cape perfectly, so I can wear it tomorrow."
"Of course," Margaret smiled. "My Little Princess, tomorrow you will be the most dazzling presence in Tayr Palace—no, in the entire Southern Territory."
...
Deep in the night, the do of the Tayr Palace Observatory slowly slid open, revealing the clear, boundless night sky over the Southern Territory.
The clamor of the day had faded. High up in the Observatory, only Murphy and Margaret remained.
A cool night breeze stirred Margaret’s pale yellow velvet shawl and her unbound long hair.
She had changed out of her day dress and was now wearing a simpler, deep purple robe. Leaning against the marble balustrade, she gazed up at the starry sky.
Murphy stood a few steps away, also looking at the night sky.
"The Plane Waymark to the New Realm is about to open," Margaret’s voice carried on the night breeze. "The Eye of the Profound over in the Rosenia Kingdom has observed clear fluctuations in the dinsional energy tides. It won’t be more than three months at the latest."
Murphy didn’t respond imdiately.
Of course, he knew of the New Realm. It was a Half-Plane discovered by Wizards, one that partially overlapped with the current world yet remained relatively independent.
Legend said it was rich in resources. Most importantly, it had not been tainted by the rules of the God of Stars and Truth. Its Laws were closer to the origin, making it the ideal place for Wizards to break through bottlenecks and pursue greater power.
Every ti a passage opened, it would attract countless Wizard Apprentices, like moths to a fla.
"Is the information reliable?" Murphy finally spoke, his voice calm.
"It is." Margaret nodded, turning her head to look at him. "This ti, a stable entrance to the passage will likely appear deep within the Iron Ridge Mountain Range, on the border between the Kingdom’s Eastern Territory and the Castile Kingdom."
"Do you plan on going?" Murphy asked, his gaze still fixed on so point in the starry sky.
Margaret let out a soft laugh, one that held an indescribable aning. "Does my master wish for to go?"
She didn’t answer directly, instead turning the question back on him. At the sa ti, she turned to face him, her shawl billowing slightly in the night breeze.
Only then did Murphy pull his gaze from the stars and let it fall upon her face.
The darkness blurred the delicate contours of her features, but it made her eyes seem even more profound under the starlight.
"The Royal Family must have certain expectations of you," Murphy said slowly.
"Their expectations are their own." Margaret took half a step forward, closing the distance to Murphy, her voice low. "But the decision... is Maggie’s to make."
She paused, her fingertips lightly tracing the cool stone balustrade. "Or rather, my master’s."
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