Lyra was ready at six in the morning.
Not almost ready. Not sitting in her room in the process of getting ready. Fully, completely, entirely ready, dressed and hair done and sitting in the chair by her door with her hands folded in her lap and the expression of someone who had completed a task correctly and was now waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.
Rhea had helped her the evening before, which explained the hair. It was pinned back in a way that was simple and precise and looked like it had taken twenty minutes and had probably taken an hour, and Lyra had decided this was the correct choice and was not going to revisit it.
She sat in her chair.
She waited.
At ten past six she knocked on Caelum's door.
He said: "I am awake."
She said: "Are you dressed."
A pause.
"I am getting dressed."
She went back to her chair.
---
At half past six Caelum opened his door.
