Violet could see the glow of sunrise colours filling the sky, magnificent ribbons of orange and rose. It seemed like mockery for Mother Nature to provide such a display of beauty while her life was collapsing before her eyes.
On and on she ran, until she was breathless and her ribs ached.
When Violet eventually found Ilse and Leo, she could only stand by and silently watch while they argued. They were in one of the green, cobblestoned courtyards linking the main flower gardens and the pathway to the training grounds.
It was such a quaint, pretty backdrop to what looked like a very ugly quarrel.
She stood a little distance away and behind a small arbour. Despite straining to listen, she wasn't quite close enough to catch their words.
But Violet could see their expressions and agitated gestures, and these told her everything. She saw Leo's befuddled, nervous frown as he obviously tried his best to defend himself from the questions being fired at him.
