sunlight dances through the manicured trees of the gardens of leasta’s castle every morning, teasing the promise of warmth later in the day no matter the season, soft and golden. there is always the cloying sweetness of freshly mowed grass, roses and lavender hanging thick in the air, softened only a little by the astringent bushes around the pavilion. 

it's all such an ostentatious waste to elis; all of it could have been food, or tea, or medicine — but the fruit trees were sterile, and the gardener had frowned at him in confusion when elis had extended a polite hope that the vigor of the blooms would bring a bountiful harvest. before moving to leasta’s capital, he had never known a garden to exist for show alone. in the small village he was born in, nobody could afford to waste resources like that.

for half his life, leasta has been at war with sen mor. elis cadieux, born of common blood yet always on a path to being one of the king's advisors, has lived at a safe distance from the violence and bloodshed. he hears only stories of the cruelties that take place on the battlefield; sloppy beheadings, bodies bereft of breath left in the dirt for carrion birds to pick at, wounded soldiers dragging themselves through the grass until they bled out — and finally, he hears about the death of queen larmina and how her young son will replace her. king archaius sees this as an opening to bring the ever-defiant sen mor to their knees, but elis is convinced it will only lead to more bloodshed and his king will be remembered as a fierce tyrant.

he suggests to king archaius to send a diplomat or an aid to sen mor to offer help in their vulnerable state while their new ruler is meant to be out in the mountains, to rebuild a relationship with them. the king laughs at the idea, but humors it, if only halfheartedly. he suggests elis be the one to go, claiming he's the most diplomatic and sympathetic of his court — but it's clear he fully believes he will die.

thus elis goes to sen mor, and by some miracle isn't killed on sight, although is immediately imprisoned. however, he's met with the surprise that the kingdom's prince hasn't followed the tradition of leaving into the mountains for half a year. he convinces xerxes and ester that he is acting outside the king's wishes — though not entirely a lie — and they allow him to stay, but not without suspicion. elis is fully aware there is a time limit to his plan, and works on a plan to convince sen mor to surrender and end the war.