Lumina's lips curved upward as she finished refining the last strand of the new medicine. The faint glow within the vial dimmed as she sealed it, her fingers steady, precise, as though she had done this a thousand times before.
The room was quiet Serena lowered herself onto the cushion beside her, the soft fabric rustling faintly.
For a long moment, neither of them moved. Then Serena released a breath that sounded more like a weight being set down than air leaving her lungs.
"You have not reacted since the news spread," Serena murmured at last.
Lumina tilted her head slightly, the blindfold resting elegantly over her eyes. The faintest smile lingered on her lips, calm and unreadable.
"It is improper," Serena continued, frustration slipping through, "for a concubine to be granted a position higher than the bride. How could she be given?"
Lumina's smile deepened, "You untied the Queen's soul from mine," Lumina interrupted quietly.
