She straightened and looked between us. “Did she…?”
“You’re alright,” I said quickly, before uncertainty could turn into panic.
That did not make her look particularly convinced.
Thoren kept his voice calm. “Go ahead and return to the kitchens. Salas will speak with you privately later.”
Mara hesitated, clearly filled with questions, but years of working inside the castle apparently won over curiosity. She dipped her head.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
She left the room, and Thoren waited until she had walked several steps beyond Salas’s table before his gaze unfocused slightly.
I knew exactly what he was sending.
If you can hear me, stop and shake Salas’s hand. Then keep walking normally. He’ll speak with you privately later.
Mara stopped.
Even from where I sat, I could see the shock cro
