Esther’s POV
The palace gardens had always felt too perfect to me, symmetrical hedges, sculpted fountains, every petal positioned by unseen hands. Beauty without warmth. But now, as I watched Nicholas sitting in the grass with Sofia on his knee and Carl pretending not to listen to their conversation, it didn’t seem so lifeless anymore.
I should have gone inside hours ago. My tea had long gone cold on the table beside me, but my feet wouldn’t move.
It started the week after the twins’ birthday party.
He came again the next day. And the day after that. Never uninvited, never quite welcome, but always just in time.
Once, I caught him teaching Sofia how to whistle with her fingers. Another afternoon, he fixed the bent axle on Carl’s toy car without saying a word. He didn’t push or pry. He
