Nolan:
Natalia’s laughter drifted across the hall, soft and unassuming as she instructed one of the maids to adjust the candleholders.
Mira hovered at her side like a shadow, touching the tablecloth as if she had any right to approve it. The servants scurried about, nervous, eager, while Alessandro barked the occasional correction. Most of the corrections were for the choices that Mira made.
I stood in the doorway, watching.
Natalia’s hands moved with care, her eyes sharp with the kind of focus that demanded respect. And yet she still smiled politely when Mira leaned in, whispering something I couldn’t hear, feigning friendship. She looked at the maids with a respect that I knew most Lunas might not have towards their servants or even those of lower rank. And when I looked at Mira, s
