His expression softened, his voice steady once more.
"In my youth, I accompanied my father across many regions. I have visited the southern waterways of Miaelin more than once. The scenery there is… quite remarkable."
Yet that brief lapse—the momentary stillness—had not escaped her notice.
She stepped closer.
"Then… did you, perhaps, meet anyone there? Or encounter some place that left a lasting impression?"
Rhaegar's gaze shifted, subtle yet intense.
"'Met someone' would be too strong a claim," he said lightly. "But there is a place I recall—a courtyard shaded by myrtle trees, with a small pool beside them. It was… quite beautiful."
The description struck her like a quiet echo.
That was no mere place.
That was her childhood home.
In an instant, certainty settled within her heart.
She looked at him, her throat tightening ever so slightly. A question rose to her lips—but she did not dare speak it.
For the man before her was no longer the boy she once knew.
