Lorraine composed herself immediately. She carried her father's signet ring. That alone was power in her hands.
She didn't falter. Not even for a breath. Her smile was composed, her tone light, as if she were speaking of nothing more consequential than the weather.
"Oh, he's recuperating," she said smoothly. "He worked too hard, and now I've forced him to rest." Then, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, she leaned just close enough for the apothecary to feel chosen, singled out. "Father trusts you so much, but you see what happened, don't you?" Her eyes flicked toward the mountain of corpses sprawled in the dirt. "She's an important person to the empire. He wants her kept safe, brought to his side. Couldn't trust anyone else, so he asked me to act." Her smile curved faint and deliberate. "Your loyalty will be remembered."
