They sipped their tea, letting the warmth settle into them, easing into their bodies like a reminder that, for now, they were more than strategists and keepers of wards.
For this stretch of time, they allowed themselves to exist as mothers first, guardians second.
The maps had been folded away and burned into ash. The wards that lined the walls still hummed softly, a steady reminder of the protection surrounding them, but neither woman looked toward them.
They both knew the storm wasn't far, that trouble always moved in the shadows, but for this one hour, it was enough to sit, breathe, and trust that they would face it together when the time came.
For a moment, they let themselves rest in that rare relief, that fragile but real comfort.
Outside the study, the world was stirring toward war, pawns were already in motion, and the gods whispered names in halls that reeked of bone and ash.
