The music gradually faded and soon came to an end with a prolonged note that dissolved against the walls of the enormous hall. The applause, though polite, felt more like an automatic gesture than genuine enthusiasm. I took that moment to head toward the table where Lilia was conversing with the second princess.
I wove my way through distracted guests and half-empty glasses, until I was close enough to notice their expressions. The murmur of their conversation was lost among the voices in the hall, but the tension was impossible to miss: Lilia had furrowed her brow, her lips pressed tight, while Eleonor kept an expression so rigid it seemed carved from stone. This was no trivial sisterly chat, but something far more urgent than they wanted to show.
I waited a few seconds, and when I saw their dialogue come to an end, I stepped forward. I stretched out my hand, intending to touch Lilia's shoulder and ask what was going on, but before I could do so, a sudden change stopped me.
