Lord Vaeron did not wait for further permission and stepped forward, offering his arm. Oddly, his presence was a solid thing at her side as she moved despite the lingering tremor beneath her skin.
Lucrezia did not look back as they turned away from the table, though she felt the weight of gazes following her departure. It was only when they passed beyond the threshold of the hall that she realized how tightly she had been holding herself together.
The doors closed behind them with a muted finality. Lucrezia exhaled, slow and careful, as though any sudden breath might shatter the fragile composure she had stitched together, and her fingers brushed the fabric of her gown, grounding herself in its weight, in its reality.
