I don't even know why I was emotional.
It was a stupid tradition. Women of the house, sisters or mothers or wives, would give the men of the family a brooch before they left for war.
A little piece of home to carry with them, something to remind them that someone was waiting for them to come back.
Countless times I had seen it growing up. My cousins had received a few. My father also had received a few too many from my aunt and my mother.
"It's not much, I know," Alexia said, mistaking my silence for hesitation. "I wasn't sure what gem you would like, so I went with blue. Or, at least, Kang tells me it's blue."
I looked down at the little silver brooch again. The tiny star-shaped sapphire caught the light. "It is."
Alexia tilted her head. "It's not much?"
"No." I carefully picked it up from her palm. "It is much. I like it. Did you make it yourself?"
"Good." She smiled faintly. "And yes, I made it myself. That's the Theosbane tradition, isn't it?"
I nodded wordlessly.
