“Welcome to House Blackwell, your royal radiance, Lady Lillia of Silvervein.” A middle-aged man bowed first, too deep, too fast, his booming voice startling everyone present. Halfway through the gesture, he corrected himself, placing his left hand on his chest, then quickly switching to his right, as though remembering the proper form after the fact. “Zawgi… khallīk ḥarīṣ, Silvervein huwa ism ʿeilt-ha. Heyya min el‑shamāl el‑fiḍḍī.” The woman beside him spoke gently, glancing at him before turning to Lillia with a bright, warm smile. “Welcome to our humble abode, Lady Lillia of the Silver North.” Her curtsy began with elegant confidence, but like the man, it ended in a startled shuffle when her skirts caught beneath her heel. Between them came a brief, silent moment of panic, during which both attempted to look dignified while clearly recalculating what dignity was supposed to look like. Silence stretched, very awkwardly. And somewhere nearby, a fat duck observed the proce
Last Updated : 2026-02-02 Read more