Raena straightened her shoulders and plastered a polite smile on her lips as they stopped by the wide-open doors of the hall where the negotiations were to be held. Chasing away the thoughts of Blaine and Kara for the moment, she wished she had seen Kassian before coming here. One encouraging word from him would have washed away her nervousness and the pressure that intensified the moment all those eyes locked on her.
Everyone was already there, including Yulien and Emer, who were standing side by side and conversing quietly. Yulien was smiling, but his eyes were cold and guarded, while Emer looked like he had had a grand time at the banquet and was ready for more. She nodded politely to the nobles and ambassadors as she made her way to the two most important people in the room. Stopping
