19 May, 1369. St Ivan's Palace, Havietten
The flower garlands that had been strung between the trees, swung in the gentle breeze. Beneath the fragrant blossoms, an enormous white silk pavilion with open sides had been set up on the grass. It was the venue for a springtime picnic that Tobin insisted on hosting for the younger members of the court.
Of course, to Tobin, hosting simply meant rattling off a bunch of rambling instructions to the servants and leaving them to try and interpret his vague wishes. From the window of her apartments, Celia had seen dozens of frightened servants labouring since very early in the morning, to set up the pavilion and decorate its surroundings.