The princess held the hug for a full five seconds.
Then she stepped back.
She straightened her posture — the automatic, trained movement of someone who had been taught since childhood — and folded her hands in front of her. Her expression settled back into its composed, controlled default.
Around her, nobody moved.
The guards had returned to their positions but were doing the thing guards did when they were trying to look like they hadn't just witnessed something unexpected — which was to look at the walls. The maid was sitting very still, her hands folded in her lap. The actors on stage had stopped pretending to continue their scene. Three of Bennett's staff near the back were looking at each other with the expressions of people who were going to be discussing this for weeks.
Noel stood where he was.
He looked at the princess.
