Lyra was curled up on a plush sofa, absorbed in a book of poetry, a glass of cool water resting on the table beside her. The peaceful atmosphere was abruptly shattered when the doors were flung open and her mother-in-law, Dowager Duchess Elena, barged into the room like a storm front.
Before Lyra could even register her presence, Elena swept over to the table and snatched the glass of water from her hand. Lyra flinched at the sudden movement, her book nearly falling from her lap. She relaxed when she saw the furious, flustered face of the Dowager Duchess.
Elena, her chest heaving with annoyance, gulped down the entire glass of water in one long, desperate go. She slammed the empty glass back down on the table with a clatter that made Lyra jump.
Lyra carefully closed her book and placed it on the table. "Mother," she began, her voice a mixture of surprise and concern. "Where have you been? Did you get hit by a pack of hungry wolves on your way home?"