Meanwhile, Callista watched her quietly, her eyes soft yet observant, studying every small shift in Kiara's expression, every pause, every flicker of thought that crossed her face, while Serestia, standing beside her, assumed something entirely different, believing that Kiara was simply surprised by her bloodline, by the rarity, by the contrast between ice and flame.
"Kiara," Callista spoke gently, her voice pulling Kiara out of her thoughts, "you seemed lost for a moment."
Kiara blinked once, then let out a faint breath as if shaking away something unimportant, her lips curling into a polite smile that hid everything beneath it.
"It's nothing, Queen Consort Callista," she replied calmly, her tone smooth, almost casual, as if the previous moment had no weight at all. "It has just been a while since I last heard of that beast's name, and it brought back something my master once told me."
