Chapter 94: Quiet Hands and Reasons to Remain
Lyria's POV
I stood there, uncertain of where precisely to rest my gaze.
It felt… improper.
That was the only word that came to mind.
The Duke of Blackmere stood waist-deep in the lake, regarding the boy before him with an expression that hovered somewhere between long-suffering tolerance and quiet amusement.
And Tommy stood with his arms folded, entirely unbothered.
There was no stiffness in his posture.
No careful selection of words.
No hesitation.
He spoke to the Duke as though rank were a thing that did not exist between them.
As though they stood on equal ground.
I had never seen anything like it.
Not once.
Men of high standing and power were treated with a careful distance by those who served them. Respect was expected. Deference was required.
Even Corvin had never permitted such familiarity from his attendants.
But this…
This was something else entirely.
They sounded like siblings.
