Evangeline offered Victoria a soft smile, though she didn't answer her earlier words. There was truth in what had been said, and that truth had stirred something uneasy within her. It wasn't Victoria's fault, not really, but sometimes a smile was easier than unraveling feelings she didn't yet understand.
"How do you find the forest of fae?" Victoria asked, her tone smoothing the conversation as effortlessly as a hand brushing over silk.
Evangeline turned her gaze toward the garden. Flowers bloomed in careful harmony, colors layered like a painted dream, their fragrance drifting lightly through the air.
"It's a very beautiful place," she said, her voice gentle.
"Yet that beautiful place put you in danger."
Victoria's expression softened, and then, to Evangeline's surprise, she inclined her head in a sincere apology. "I'm truly sorry for my negligence."
