It was bad luck. For everyone involved. He was not out in the garden looking for the Asrai—those urges had passed with a blessed swiftness. He was not even looking for the Queen, whom he undeniably spent most of his time with whilst at Court. After the gala, Mikino had returned home for several days. This was his usual routine, splitting his time between his home and his duties. It was why his estates lay so near to the palace rather than at the heart of Alcaeyn territory.
The gala had not gone as planned. No announcement had been officially made, but word had been allowed to spread. It would have been hard to keep it quiet much longer in any case, after the attention he had given Lady Dubhghail at the start of the event. They had somehow managed to avoid any real conflict in that time as well, and these walks at night were threatening to become a routine. So it was not just Mikino who chanced upon those out-of-place sentries. Anyone else would likely have kept walking some other route. These garden paths were expansive, circuitous things. He recognized the regalia of course. He knew they were not the guards of some attending House whose Lord or Lady had required seclusion and sought to claim a portion of the place for themselves. Still, it was a curious thing and Mikino was a curious man. Enough that he extricated his hand from Avalynn’s to approach the nearest of the women and inquire.