Chapter 14: Beyond the Masks
The dinner continued at its refined pace, with glasses gently clinking and dishes being discreetly exchanged by the servants. The conversations around the table fluctuated between subtle provocations and formal compliments, until something more simple began to stand out — the spontaneous exchange between Sofia and Aziz.
Sitting next to her mother, the little fox girl had a sparkle in her eyes that was hard to ignore. Her words flowed with surprising naturalness, and although she maintained the composure she had been taught, the lightness of childhood slipped through between phrases. Aziz, seated between Astrid and Isis, listened with genuine attention, responding with the same calm restraint he had shown from the start.
Lady Stella, even while focused on her own dialogue with Astrid, occasionally diverted her gaze to watch her daughter. There was something almost rare about that kind of interaction: the presence of a childhood still alive, even if shaped by the demands of nobility. Astrid, for her part, noticed clearly how Sofia effortlessly broke through Aziz’s defenses, drawing out lighter expressions from him, even the occasional restrained smile.
Isis, always silent, began to follow the exchanges more closely. Her gaze — used to detecting threats and weaknesses — found only frankness and curiosity, in a game of mutual discovery between two children who, in a way, had grown up too soon.
The women didn’t speak about it, but the atmosphere around the table seemed to have changed. The previous tensions softened, as if the little ones at the table had opened a crack of normality in that world of masks and veiled intentions.
After casting a spell with just a thought so as not to disturb the interaction between Aziz and Sofia, Astrid leaned slightly toward Stella.
"He’s beginning to let himself go," she commented softly.
Stella didn’t reply immediately, but her smile said enough. It was rare to see her daughter so involved in something other than training or lessons. And it was rare to see such a young guest keep his composure even in front of a ruler like her.
"Looks like the night still holds surprises," she finally answered, resting her gaze alternately on her daughter and on the white-haired boy.
Isis smiled lightly.
"To think we came here with hearts full of strategies."