"Well then, I should begin my preparations immediately," Lianna announced, rising from her seat. "If you'll excuse me, I have arrangements to make. Princess, always a pleasure. Water Boy... try not to drown anyone before I return."
Once they were alone again, Liona let out a soft laugh. "I should have expected complications. News of travel seems to spread through court like wildfire."
"Lianna follows her own agenda," Grim said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"An agenda that seems primarily concerned with whom you spend your time with," Liona replied, her gaze direct and unabashed. "The ruins appear secondary to her interests."
The frankness of her statement caught Grim off guard, but he found himself appreciating her honesty.
"Nothing you can't handle," Liona added with surprising confidence. "Mother will assign at least two Obsidian Knights for my protection."
"Then it seems our southern expedition grows more interesting by the moment," Grim acknowledged with a wry smile.
