No matter what finery the nobles wore, it could never disguise their disgusting thoughts.

Preening, vain, lustful, and calculating; it was all very tiring.

“Easton, stop with that frown. At least try your best to look happy to support our sister on her happy day.”

Easton bowed to another noble who came up to greet them with greedy eyes. Once they left he turned to his brother, “I do not enjoy socializing.”

His brother let out a dramatic sigh, before smiling and nodding to another noble lady across the way. His golden hair shimmered beneath the candlelight before he inclined his head toward his brooding brother.

“At least try to be sociable before you escape, as you always do.”

His brother’s thoughts were ever so chaotic, strategic, and oddly simple.

Easton nodded, “Five minutes.”

He lasted only until the first dance began before he escaped to the nearest balcony but he wasn’t alone. A woman with her head tilted up at the moon leaned against the stone balustrade and yet it was oddly silent. He could not hear a thing.

Never before was he not hit with a barrage of thought as soon as stepping into a room. He had barely sifted through the remaining from the ballroom, and he had feared he would be hit again but here he was standing in shadow and the woman seemed to not have a thought in her head.

He had met many a young woman that had many a silly thing in her mind, but even the most dull had something going on in their mind.

Then as if answering him a thought of hers whispered to him as she continued to be ignorant of his presence.

‘Give me the gossiping ladies, the secret romances, and the bustle of the Flower Path any day these royal surroundings are not for me.’

A woman who did not yearn for the liveliness of the capital. How odd.

Her mind went quiet again, but he knew she thought for she had turned and her gaze had alighted upon his.

Her eyes moved over his features as if appreciating them.

And yet he could not hear the thought. What was this strange phenomenon?

She dipped into a perfect curtsy. The moonlight glinted off her braided hair, ringlets framing her oval features rather prettily. Her supple curves would entice any man, and he found himself swallowing as her curtsy let him glimpse her pale skin that almost seemed to sparkle in the night air.

When her gaze alighted upon him, a thought came through that had him shaking his head in confusion.

‘He is rather handsome. It is a pity if he wasn’t so close to the royals…’

And she left before he caught another thought, not that he would have been able to hear it if she had thought it.

What did she hide beneath those dark blue lashes, beneath those ice blue eyes?

Before he could stop himself he was following her back into the ballroom, the barragement of thoughts would have overwhelmed him if he hadn’t been trained since young to cancel them out one by one.

He found the maiden speaking with his cousin Dana and uncle, Gareth, with no guarded features in sight. Her features were open and held pure happiness as she smiled at Dana.

He focused trying to catch anything. Anything of those half thoughts, those half feelings.

He was distracted as his adopted sister joined the trio and after introductions were made happily chatted with the ladies. He neared but was stopped by his brother.

“I’ve never seen you so intent before.” He turned his head and looked in the direction Easton looked, “Ah, Lady Ipheion catch your eye?”

So that was Lady Ipheion. He’d read of her from the letters he occasionally exchanged with his uncle. A dear friend to his cousin, and the hostess and creator behind the sensation tea house The Flower Path. She was certainly not simple. He would need to investigate her thoroughly, if anything could be said of Althea’s thoughts, he knew he would be seeing Lady Ipheion again and he was determined to find out what her motives were.

Easton looked up at the Flower Path, his gaze moving over the fine elegant lines of the grand building. Quite the establishment, it was something he’d expect to see in the capital rather than the merchant Port City.

Althea chattered excitedly behind him, her arm through the Crown Prince’s who looked upon her with loving and indulgent eyes.

It was times like these that Easton was glad Cassius loved Althea. It wasn’t just for political reasons that he followed her around like a puppy, he had come to care for her deeply. Althea likewise had never judged people based on their nobility and found herself liking the sides to Cassius that none but his close friends and family could see and well Easton himself, but that was a secret only his Grandparents had known of. Easton was meant to blend into the background, known to be spark-less Duke’s brother.

“Easton!” Althea’s voice chimed by him and he looked down to see dark amber eyes giving him a knowing look. “We have an appointment we wouldn’t wish to miss it.”

He nodded before following his sister and the prince into the Flower Path.

Lady Rhea Ipheion came to greet them, all politeness and quiet mind. It would have been a relief if it weren’t so concerning.

It was when her eyes rose to meet his that a thought brushed his mind.

‘What’s he doing here?’

Before her eyes moved away a professional smile sat upon her lips as she gestured gracefully for them to follow her.

Althea looked excitedly around the Flower Path. Her mind was a whirl with thoughts of how such a place could be used for the community and not just for nobles. Always the altruistic one of the family. Per her request, Lady Rhea gave them a tour of the facilities of the Flower Path from the tea rooms to the Gentleman’s Library across the bridge.

The thoughts coming from the Gentleman’s Library intrigued Easton, it would seem that there was something more to it than met the eye. An undercover information guild was housed by the seemingly innocent dark leather couches and tall book-shelved walls.

When they adjourned to their private tea room Lady Rhea was the perfect hostess. Her answers were always simple and straight to the point whenever Althea or even the Crown Prince asked. The few thoughts that passed to were confusing.

It was when the tea party came to an end and Althea stood grabbing a hold of Lady Rhea’s hands that the thoughts became interesting.

“I’d like us to be friends, Lady Rhea.”

‘She seems kind but it would be far too dangerous to be the friend of the future Empress.’

Easton couldn’t help but wonder why this lady wished to stay in the shadows when she was born to shine.