Selvara guided Noir down the quiet hallway, her hand gentle but firm around the girl's smaller one.
The door to the bathing chamber clicked shut behind them, sealing away the rest of the house.
"No one will disturb us here," Selvara said softly. "It's just you and me."
Noir stood in the middle of the warm, dimly lit room, clutching the hem of her new crop top, eyes flicking everywhere but at Selvara.
Selvara smiled and knelt in front of her, bringing their faces close.
"Noir, sweetheart… tell Mummy what you like. What you enjoy. What you dream about. Anything at all."
Noir's cheeks burned darker. She bit her lip, horns tilting down as she stared at the floor.
"I… I don't know, Mummy," She whispered. "I've never… been allowed to have favorites before. Or wants. Or… anything."
Selvara's heart clenched.
"That's okay," She murmured. "We have all the time in the world to find out together. But right now, tell me one thing you do want. Just one."
