The Scorched Bench and the First Kiss

Mud squelched beneath Kaelia's bare foot as she scrambled deeper into the labyrinthine hedges of the Imperial garden. She tripped over the water-logged earth, the heavy silk of her gown dragging through the muck, but she refused to slow down. She needed a private haven, a place to disappear. If she could just hide within these walls of greenery until morning, she would surely face disqualification