Dinner was going well until Serilla walked in.
Aegis had been enjoying a quiet evening with Liora, actually. Good wine, better company, some light conversation about Liora's progress with bardic magic. The kind of peaceful domesticity that almost made Aegis forget she was running a political campaign against the royal family.
Then the dining room door swung open.
"Started without me?" Serilla strode in like she'd paid for the building. "Rude."
"I hadn't invited you yet," Aegis pointed out.
"Ah, well, consider this me saving you the trouble."
Serilla grabbed a chair, spun it around, and dropped into it backwards with her arms draped over the backrest. Her blouse was unbuttoned one button too many, giving Aegis a generous view of her cleavage. Probably intentional.
Her eyes swept the table. The wine, the food. And, then her eyes landed on Liora.
She froze.
[Oh, she hadn't noticed her?]
The temperature in the room dropped about ten degrees.
