The words had barely finished settling when Trafalgar moved.
It was slight at first, enough that a few people near the front noticed before the rest. Then he stepped closer, lifted one hand to Aubrelle's face, and kissed her in front of everyone.
The reaction around them was immediate, even if most of it stayed hidden behind noble discipline or etiquette.
It was not the sort of thing usually done in a formal union like this, certainly not in front of both houses and an Elder of the Council standing only a few steps away. Even so, Trafalgar did it without hesitation. Aubrelle seemed surprised for the briefest instant, then her fingers rose lightly to his sleeve and she answered the kiss with the same warmth she had given him the night before.
By the time they parted, a faint flush had already touched Aubrelle's face again, and the silence around the garden had changed shape.
The Rosenthal side softened first.
