"As you wish, my Queen." Rimea dropped into a slow, flawless curtsy, her chin tilted just enough for the pale morning light to catch the sharp curve of her jaw.
Aurelia let out a slow, measured breath, her fingers smoothing the heavy silk overlay of her sleeves. She studied the princess for a long, quiet moment before her brow arched slightly.
"You spoke of two favors when you stopped me in this gallery," Aurelia said, her voice dropping into that cool, velvety register that carried the natural weight of a Southern sovereign. "You have laid the burden of the first upon my shoulders—asking me to walk into the dark water-cells and look upon your caged twin. Now tell me... what is the second?"
