Queen Seralyne did not speak at once. She let her daughter's words hang in the quiet air of the garden, as she simply watched Serah with those dark silver eyes that always seemed to see more than anyone wanted to reveal, and then, with the gentlest of tones, she said:
"My sweet child, you carry yourself as though the whole world rests upon your shoulders, and yet, beneath that armor of calm, I see the truth. It is not duty alone that wears upon you. It is the uncertainty of your heart. Do you know why I asked you here, away from the castle's walls, away from ears that always listen? It is because there are times when even a princess must set aside titles and speak as a daughter."
Serah shifted slightly, fingers tightening around the cup of tea she had hardly sipped. Her gaze dropped, not daring to meet her mother's yet, but she nodded faintly.
