Chapter 5 A question asked too softly

The academy gardens were at their quietest just after dusk.

Aurelia walked the gravel paths alone, hands clasped behind her back, the evening air cool against her skin. Lanterns glowed at measured intervals, casting soft pools of light over trimmed hedges and marble benches. This was one of the few places where she was allowed solitude, monitored, of course, but distant enough to feel almost private.

Her mind refused to settle.

Elara's words echoed, not in accusation but in caution. Words carry weight here. Aurelia had known that long before she learned to read. Yet hearing it spoken aloud, by someone who looked at her as a mind first, had stirred something restless.

She stopped near the reflecting pool, watching ripples spread and fade. Leadership, restraint, sacrifice. All concepts she understood intimately. What she had never been taught was how to want.

"You'll wear a path into the stones if you keep pacing like that."

Aurelia turned.

Celeste Rowan leaned against a nearby column, arms crossed, a knowing smile on her lips. Her closest friend had perfected the art of appearing casual while seeing far more than she let on.

"I wasn't aware I was pacing," Aurelia said.

"That's because you're never aware when you are," Celeste replied, pushing off the column and joining her. "You only do it when something's bothering you."

Aurelia returned her gaze to the water. "Then consider this my evening exercise."

Celeste snorted softly. "That's not an answer."

"It's the only one you're getting."

They stood in companionable silence for a moment. Celeste followed Aurelia's line of sight, then spoke again, more gently. "Is this about the new lecturer?"

Aurelia's breath caught, just enough.

"I don't know what you mean."

Celeste raised an eyebrow. "You only say that when you mean exactly what I think you mean."

Aurelia exhaled slowly. "She's... challenging."

"That's a first," Celeste said. "Most people challenge you by accident. She seems to do it deliberately."

"She doesn't," Aurelia replied. "She simply speaks to me as though I'm capable of thought."

Celeste glanced at her sideways. "You like that."

Aurelia didn't deny it.

"Careful," Celeste warned, tone light but eyes serious. "Lecturers are off-limits. And this one?" She hesitated. "She's not like the others."

Aurelia turned to face her fully. "In what way?"

"In the way that makes you look like this," Celeste said softly. "Like you're standing at the edge of something."

Aurelia looked away.

Later that night, unable to sleep, Aurelia opened her tablet and reread her notes from Elara's lecture. She paused at a margin she'd scribbled earlier, a question written almost unconsciously.

Who decides what is worth giving up?

She stared at the words until they blurred.

The following afternoon, she found herself lingering after class once more. This time, she didn't wait for an invitation.

"Dr. Voss," Aurelia said as Elara packed her bag.

Elara looked up, surprise flickering briefly before her expression settled. "Yes, Your Highness?"

Aurelia hesitated. The question sat on her tongue, suddenly fragile. "May I ask you something?"

Elara straightened, posture cautious. "If it's academic."

"It is," Aurelia said. "Mostly."

Elara considered her for a long moment. "Go on."

Aurelia lowered her voice, not because anyone was near, but because the question felt delicate. "Do you believe restraint is always a virtue?"

Elara's brow furrowed slightly. "That depends on context."

"And if restraint becomes a way to avoid living?" Aurelia pressed. "If it turns into fear disguised as discipline?"

The room felt very still.

Elara didn't answer immediately. When she did, her voice was quieter than Aurelia had ever heard it. "Then it stops being virtuous."

Their eyes met.

For a heartbeat, Aurelia thought Elara might say more. Instead, Elara stepped back, reclaiming distance.

"That's enough for today," she said gently. "You should go."

Aurelia nodded, disappointment flickering before she masked it. As she turned to leave, Elara spoke again.

"Princess Aurelia."

She paused.

"Be careful what questions you ask," Elara said. "Some of them change things."

Aurelia inclined her head. "I suspect that's why they matter."

She left before Elara could reply.

Behind her, Elara remained standing in the empty hall, pulse unsteady, aware that the line she was trying to protect was already beginning to blur.

And it had started with a question asked too softly to be harmless.