Hajin stared at the purple-haired girl while the palace courtyard continued moving around them.
Servants guided carriages, musicians tested strings beyond the ballroom doors, and Uriel calmly chewed her pastry as though years had not passed since she last saw him.
'Of everyone the Flints could have brought tonight.'
"Oh," Hajin said after his voice returned.
Some of the tension left his shoulders, though none of his caution followed it.
"It is you, Uriel," he added, studying the familiar face beneath her messy hair.
Uriel swallowed the last piece of pastry and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
Her expression softened into the same small, lopsided smile he remembered from childhood.
"It has been so long," she said, genuine warmth quieting her voice.
"It is good to see you again, big brother," Uriel continued, moving one step closer.
"You have changed so much," she added, examining his face and broader shoulders.
"You look different," Uriel said, tilting her head.
