"First of all, I've got to thank you for agreeing to meet with me," Artemis said, her voice steady but not stiff. "As someone who will soon take on the role of leader, I was hoping—no, I wish—that you would be willing to guide me."
She didn't look nervous, but there was something earnest in the way she stood. Her posture was straight, but not defensive. Her eyes were calm, not arrogant. She wasn't posturing. She wasn't demanding. She was asking.
And Agneis noticed that.
She didn't brush Artemis off. She didn't scoff or look away. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, as if reassessing her for the first time—not as Solaris's daughter, not as an elf princess, but as someone genuinely standing at the edge of responsibility.
That alone said a lot.
