It's tempting - very - to crack another joke in agreement. But no matter his bitterness, Henri is well aware that een Queen Eleanor wouldn't resort to that kind of treatment. Alia would not have stood for it, even if she had. "Ah, no. I must give some credit to my hosts. They are exceptional at following through on their duties." The look he gives her is amused. "An ambassador without a head for intrigue is a strange creature indeed."

He leads her through a set of double doors to the gardens. The ones closest to the palace are carefully manicured, laid out in geometric shapes and rigorously tended, although they grow wilder the further one gets from the massive structure. Henri glances at his companion, raising an eyebrow. "But I thought the curse had been lifted?"