Maya rested her elbows on the arms of the chair and kept talking, her voice filling the quiet space easily.
"You know," she said, glancing at the maps again, "this could all be… easier."
Darcien did not look up.
"If things were organized better," she continued. "Like, information-wise. Communication. Searching for things without having to dig through half the palace just to find one answer."
Silence.
She swung one foot lazily. "I mean, imagine being able to find what you need instantly. No runners, no delays, no guessing where someone is."
Still nothing.
Maya smiled to herself and went on anyway. "You could manage everything faster. Borders, people, supplies. Even messages. It would save so much time."
That finally caught his attention.
He looked up slowly. "Manage what easier?"
She blinked, then looked at him. "Everything."
His brow furrowed. "Explain."
"Well," she said lightly, waving a hand, "communication systems. Records. Ways to search things without relying on memory or messengers who forget half of what they're told."
He stared at her now, fully focused. "That is not possible."
She laughed softly. "It is."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "How."
The single word landed heavier than she expected.
Her smile froze.
For half a second, her mind went blank.
How?
Computers. Databases. Phones. Networks.
None of which existed here.
Her pulse skipped, and she quickly looked away, forcing a laugh. "I mean—eventually. With time. People. Planning."
"That is not an answer," Darcien said calmly.
She shrugged, a little too quickly. "It was more of a thought than a plan."
He studied her, clearly unconvinced.
Maya's smile softened, then faltered completely as the truth crept in.
I don't actually know how to make any of that here.
Not without electricity. Not without technology. Not without a world that understood it.
Her fingers curled slightly in her lap.
Idiot, she scolded herself. Why would you even say that?
She cleared her throat and leaned forward. "Anyway—this palace is huge. Do you ever get lost?"
The shift was obvious.
Darcien didn't comment on it.
But his gaze lingered on her a second longer than before, sharp and thoughtful, as if he had just glimpsed the edge of something he couldn't quite see.
"No," he replied.
Maya snorted softly. "Must be nice."
The conversation moved on—but the question she'd dodged remained, hanging quietly between them.