TEMPT ME, MASTER
The next afternoon, Lyra went to the village stream to wash some clothes. Her head felt heavy with dreams, and her body felt like it was still glowing from her secret time in her room. She walked with a different step—slower, more confident. She felt like a queen who was waiting for her king, even if the king was a man she had only seen in her mind.
At the stream, she saw her best friend, Mara. Mara was a practical girl. She had blonde hair tied in a tight knot and strong arms from working in her father’s bakery. Mara believed in things she could touch, like bread, coins, and the boys of the village.