AMAYA
There was no mistaking the command in Darian’s words. I rise because disobedience isn’t an option in this room, but my eyes stay down.
Elder Mara sighs. “I think the tray was much too heavy for the slave to carry,” she suggests to Evelara in that way that means she’s really suggesting it to Darian.
“Oh, please,” Evelara purrs. “It’s a plate, not a boulder.”
I hear Theron’s wineglass touch down against the table. “This only goes to show how important it is to train slaves properly,” he observes. “It can solve a lot of problems.”
“Some problems don’t want to be solved,” someone mutters at the far end, and a ripple of laughter follows like tall grass in the wind.
Lucian straightens slowly. He is no longer smiling. “She didn’t trip,” he says quietly.
Evelara widens her eyes. “What
