Lydia walked slowly, her steps soft and graceful as she followed Xenia through the long palace hallway. Her hands were folded in front of her, her mind heavy, her heart tired. The palace was quiet except for the faint sound of rain still dripping outside. Xenia stopped in front of one of the waiting rooms and opened the door for her.
When Lydia entered, she let out a quiet sigh. Sitting there was Anna Petrovna.
Anna immediately stood up and bowed deeply. "Your Highness," she said. Her voice was nervous, but there was respect in her tone.
Lydia's eyes were calm but cold. Her face showed no warmth. "Why are you here, Lady Petrovna?" she asked in a flat voice.
Anna clasped her hands together tightly. "Firstly… I just came to say thank you," she said quickly. "Thank you very much for your help today. I wanted to say it in person, but you disappeared from the church before I could reach you. So I came here to thank you."
