Lutea stared downward... She focused entirely on her daughter's extended hand.
A heavy, defeated sigh escaped her lips, carrying the weight of a monarch surrendering territory she did not fully comprehend but recognized was permanently lost. Slowly, with profound reluctance, she reached out and grasped Larissa's hand.
Larissa immediately claimed Ren's hand with her free hand too, physically linking the three of them together in a deliberate gesture that left absolutely zero room for diplomatic misinterpretation.
"Mother," she stated clearly. She wielded that trademark logical firmness, completely devoid of drama, relying exclusively on concrete facts.
