"That is good to hear," Athea said.
She was testing her, and Sage could feel it. The Princess was measuring her, running some internal calculation about whether Sage was an asset or a liability. She was deciding if the woman her son had chosen was someone worth tolerating, or someone who would eventually need to be managed. But unlike other powerful women Sage knew, Athea gave absolutely nothing away. Her face was a perfect mask of ice and control.
"Since you are his girlfriend," Athea continued, the word landing with careful precision, "it is only natural that you would be aware of his..."
"Unusual biology," Sage said. "Yes."
Sage did not wait for the Princess to guide the conversation further. With a confident smile she had not entirely planned, she added, "I am also aware that you are his biological mother."
The corridor went completely quiet.
