Eirin managed another polite 'thank you' to the Duchess, the words feeling stiff on her tongue, before she stepped back into the confines of the ducal carriage. The rich velvet lining and polished wood felt oppressive, far too small to contain the whirlwind of thoughts still raging in her mind.
Could she truly believe what she'd just heard? The Duchess's words, so casually dropped, still echoed with an almost unbelievable clarity.
The rhythmic clatter of the horses' hooves against the cobbled drive was the only sound breaking the heavy silence inside the carriage. Sitting in front of her, Shade was awfully quiet. He usually had a biting remark, a sarcastic remark, or at least a restless fidget.
Now, he was small, still bundle, his fever-flushed cheek pressed against the window, gazing out at the blur of trees. His unusual stillness made Eirin's own throat clench, and any urge to speak to him evaporated.
