When Portia returned to the palace, the very first thing she did, even though it was late into the night, was plant the sapling she had brought from the Moon Goddess Temple. She didn't wait for morning, didn't even change out of her travel-worn clothes. She knelt in the earth beside the tomb of the late emperor and buried the sapling with her own hands, her eyes silently praying for for something to bloom again.
The next morning, the imperial palace awoke to something extraordinary.
There was a wave of joy unlike any in recent memory where servants were whispering in excitement, guards exchanging glances of wonder, and nobles craning their necks as if expecting to see miracles unfold.
The silver roses were blooming again.
