"Prince Kaelis."
As soon as Aamon stepped into the drawing room and saw Kaelis sitting there, it was visible that he was momentarily stunned.
It wasn't obvious.
Most people probably wouldn't have noticed it.
Aamon was one of the kingdom's greatest knights.
A veteran.
Someone who spent decades learning how to conceal his emotions and remain composed under pressure.
But Kaelis had spent most of his life investigating people.
Watching them.
Studying every hesitation, every flicker of emotion, every crack that appeared for a fraction of a second before disappearing.
While Kaelis himself had mastered the opposite approach.
He hid behind reactions.
Behind laughter.
Behind reckless behavior and teasing smiles.
He showed people emotions that weren't always real so they never noticed the ones that were.
So yes.
Kaelis saw it.
That brief flash of surprise.
Gone almost immediately.
"What a surprise," Aamon says as he smiles, looking every bit delighted to see Kaelis.
