The convoy stood waiting in polished order, guards mounted with discipline, their spears upright and their eyes fixed forward as if the entire world outside the road did not exist. Just a few paces away from the carriages, Lucas lingered with Lady Cecilia. She had come to see him off personally, and the two of them spoke quietly beneath the shade of a flowering tree that swayed gently with the morning breeze. Her long robes caught the light like flowing silk, her beauty undeniable, and her laughter, though soft...carried enough warmth to make heads turn.
From the largest carriage, three sets of eyes watched through a slightly drawn curtain. Selene's lips pressed tightly together, her expression taut with barely contained vexation. Nyx leaned with her chin in her hand, studying the scene with that sharp, calculating gaze of hers. Lira sat at the corner, her delicate fingers twisting in her lap as she observed with the quiet loyalty that never left her eyes.
