The throne room's vast doors groaned open again, interrupting the weight of the bargain that still hung in the air like incense. Captain Sasha strode through the entrance with military precision, her scarred features composed in the mask of duty she'd worn for decades. But as her eyes swept the scene before her—Rose standing close to the Queen, their voices lowered in intimate conversation—something flickered across her expression.
It was subtle, barely a tightening around her eyes, but Rose caught it. The way Sasha's jaw set just a fraction harder. The almost imperceptible pause in her stride. The Queen commanded respect from everyone in the kingdom, but this wasn't reverence Rose was seeing. This was something rawer, more personal.
Jealousy.
Sasha recovered quickly, dropping to one knee before the Obsidian Throne with practiced grace. "My Queen," she said, her voice steady despite whatever emotions churned beneath the surface. "I bring word from the portal chamber."
