When Astrid woke up the next day, Lyra was no longer in bed. Also missing was the black hair ribbon she had placed on the nightstand the previous night.
Aside from a glass of water nearly cooled to room temperature, only a wooden figurine holding a sword remains standing on the nightstand, casting a modest shadow under the morning light.
As Knight-Captain, Lyra was far busier than an ordinary knight. Even when she wasn't on duty, she still had countless additional tasks, inspecting the operation of various defensive magic arrays, assigning specific craftsmen and soldiers, checking the defense lines for any vulnerabilities.
She probably didn't wake her because she had risen far too early.
Pulling back the blankets, two legs wrapped in smooth black stockings pressed together beside the bed as Astrid slowly stood up, straightening her slightly wrinkled dress after a night's sleep.
