Yohana stood and wiped the moisture from her eyes with the back of her hand. "Send him away," she said in a tone that lacked any emotion. "Alvaro, never show your face to me again."
She moved to leave, attempting to brush past Iskander with the gait of someone who had already given up. Before she could take a second step, Iskander's hand clamped around her forearm, bringing her to a sharp halt.
"Stay right here," he ordered.
The sharp retort he likely expected never came. Yohana didn't struggle or pull away; she simply stopped, her gaze dropping to the floor. The fierce, habitual defiance that usually defined her had vanished, replaced by a humility. She stood as still as the stone pillars of the palace hall, waiting for his next instruction like a slave bound by a lifetime of instinct.
