The Prime Minister recovered his flawless composure in a fraction of a second, his dark, bottomless eyes sweeping over her dark leather riding clothes.
"Lady Seera," the Prime Minister murmured, taking a slow, graceful step forward. "I must say, your performance in the Great Hall today was... entirely unexpected. The civil court rarely gets to witness such sharp, poetic discipline from the military faction."
He stopped just a few feet away, the faint, crisp scent of expensive Longjing tea and fresh ink drifting off his robes.
"And now, we are all eagerly anticipating tomorrow night's Imperial Banquet," he continued, his voice dropping into a soft, conspiratorial tone that actively made the hair on the back of Heena's neck stand up. "To finally meet the extraordinary man who managed to capture the heart of the untouchable Vanguard Madam... it will truly be the highlight of the season."
Heena met his gaze, maintaining a perfectly polite, thoroughly empty smile.
