What struck her more deeply was how she herself had grown used to his silence, to his commanding presence in such a short time, to his unnerving stillness at meals, when once it had left her feeling paralyzed. She doubted her family could say the same; to them, this dinner must have felt like sitting at the executioner’s table.
Just as River opened her mouth to try and break the painful silence with some neutral conversation, an unexpected voice cut through the tension, syrupy sweet and painfully rehearsed.
“Prince Heiko,” Isabelle said, her voice dripping honey, “thank you for the invitation. Please, let us know if there is anything we can assist you with for the upcoming ceremony.”
River blinked, almost disbelieving at the nerve of her sister, her hands clenching slightly under the ta
