Elizabeth moved with quiet grace, arranging a small tea set on the central table. "We are guests here, but we are also being watched. Show strength, but not arrogance. Let them wonder what you truly are."
Elizabeth moved with quiet grace, arranging a small tea set on the central table. "We are guests here, but we are also being watched. Show strength, but not arrogance. Let them wonder what you truly are."
I listened to each of them, absorbing their perspectives. This was no longer just my mission. It was ours.
That evening, after a formal welcome banquet where polite words masked careful probing, we returned to our pavilions. The moon hung high, casting silver light through the bamboo leaves.
I found Seraphina on the wooden veranda, staring up at the stars.
"You've been quiet since we arrived," I said, stepping beside her.
