Nicalo nodded with genuine warmth. "Yes, Your Majesty. The successor has been blessed. Her potential is... remarkable."
Remarkable doesn't begin to cover it, he thought as he watched the two girls study each other with the intense focus that only children could manage. They're already responding to each other. I can feel it in the air, like the moment before lightning strikes.
Elara pressed closer to Nicalo's shoulder, suddenly overwhelmed by the attention of someone who felt like concentrated sunlight given human form. But curiosity warred with shyness, and she peeked at the Empress with undeniable fascination.
"She's really bright," Elara whispered to her uncle, though her voice carried clearly in the vast chamber. "But it doesn't hurt to look at her like fire usually does."
