The day had begun normal. In fact, it was a beautiful day in the house of Charcomb. Iris was expecting to spend time with her betrothed, Adrian, that afternoon. Spring had finally come, and her flowers were budding in their beds. The air was light and clean and slowly growing warmer. Spring had always been her favorite season.
Plus, her schedule for the day was relatively open, besides the Adrian thing. Her brother had some kind of training and the other was on a diplomat trip to some foreign kingdom. Her parents wouldn’t be down her neck for not spending her time wisely. Not like that wasn’t her plan in the first place, but it was easier to bring herself to do things when she wasn’t pressured to do so.
So, Iris decided to read by sunlight until Adrian arrived. Time seemed to pass quicker than normal. A messenger sent a message to her chambers that he had arrived. A small smile spread across her face as she thanked the messenger and made her way to the exit to the fields behind the castle. She made sure to keep her back straight. Perfect posture made the perfect princess, no?
“Hello, love,” Adrian greeted once he noticed her arrival. His grin was wide. She could see suppressed excitement in his eyes. What was he up to?
“Hello, Adrian,” Iris replied. “Shall we?” She gestured to the expansive fields ahead of them, grass growing greener by the day. He nodded and offered his arm. Iris took it gladly. They walked a distance, idly chatting about the days during which they hadn’t seen each other. Iris’ eyes focused on the trees. They had filled out a great deal recently, and birds began to nest in the branches.
Along the way, Iris noticed a rabbit and knelt down to get a better look at it. She absolutely loved observing animals, especially in a context like this. Them, being free to do whatever they please. However, out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw a silhouette of a person. Her eyebrows furrowed, but she figured it must be one of the folk who work in the castle, on break. Iris turned away, but the figure haunted her thoughts nonetheless. Was it really a servant? It just seemed… off.